THELEAVEN.ORG | VOL. 37, NO. 33 | APRIL 8, 2016
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JOE MCSORLEY
Father Andrew Strobl uses a combination of trivia and video game speak to explain Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann’s 10-year vision to students at Hayden High School in Topeka. Father Strobl, archdiocesan director of evangelization, and Deacon Dana Nearmyer, lead consultant for the office of evangelization and Catholic formation of youth, have presented the archbishop’s vision to all seven of the archdiocese’s Catholic high schools.
VISION QUEST
Father Andrew Strobl and Deacon Dana Nearmyer take to the high schools to lay out the archbishop’s 10-year vision plan By Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org
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EAVENWORTH — Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann’s 10year vision isn’t normally compared to video games and 1990s trivia. Except, of course, when it’s explained to high school students. Over the course of a week, Deacon Dana Nearmyer and Father Andrew Strobl visited all seven archdiocesan high schools to make a presentation to each student body on the archbishop’s vision. For one very significant reason. “We think you’re an extremely important part of this vision,” Deacon Nearmyer told students at Immaculata High School in Leavenworth at an all-school presentation. “So we want you to know
about it.” Deacon Nearmyer, who is the lead consultant for the office of evangelization and Catholic formation of youth, was concerned that without an opportunity like this, high school students might never understand the archbishop’s hopes for their future. Deacon Nearmyer compared the building up of the church in the archdiocese to the Sagrada Familia, a church in Barcelona, Spain, that began construction in 1882 . . . and is still under construction! “The archdiocese — not just a building, but the mystical body of Christ — is not done,” he said. “It was started so, so long ago, and each of us has to pick up these tools of evangelization to pass on the faith, or else it dies with our generation. “We have to pick up this mission if we want our church
to grow and be alive.” His co-presenter, Father Strobl, is archdiocesan director of evangelization, in addition to being the pastor of Holy Name Church in Kansas City, Kansas. The messengers brought added credibility to the message, said Allyiah Calvert, a sophomore at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park. “I thought [the talk] was a good way to inform us about what we may be called to do later in our lives,” she said. “Especially because it was coming from a priest and deacon who have experienced God’s calling themselves.” In fact, Deacon Nearmyer and Father Strobl were perhaps the perfect pair to reach out to this young audience. With a combination of games, trivia and inspirational messages, the duo was able to
keep their audience engaged, while challenging the young people to connect with their message on a deeper level. “I think the way they explained things kept us interested and wanting to know more,” said Calvert. For Deacon Nearmyer, there was no better way to present a Catholic vision to young people than by putting himself in their shoes. “I had a lot of questions growing up,” said Deacon Nearmyer. “Hard, crazy ones. “I was, like, ‘How did I get here? Why am I in this family, in this state, in this place? How did I wake up in the middle of a story I didn’t pick?’” He spoke of the difficulties he faced and the curiosity he felt about Catholicism growing up, which many young people can relate to. “God’s got this plan for all of us,” he said. “And we can pick up the mission, or we can walk into a different story.”
Accepting the mission After asking the students a series of trivia questions, Father Strobl explained how walking within the plan God has for our lives is like an-
Every once in a while, Leaven reporters are sent out on one story only to bring back two. In the past, those “second” stories often wound up on the cutting room floor. But The Leaven is now introducing a new feature called One+. Whenever a news story in the paper is accompanied by the One+ logo, readers should look farther back in the paper for a shorter, feature piece that is somehow related to it. In this first edition of One+, Father Andrew Strobl explains how the Royals aren’t the only ones swinging for the bleachers.
swering every trivia question correctly — it isn’t easy. “Here’s the challenge,” he said. “The story of our salvation is not just a story someone else tells to us. We were made to participate in the story of our salvation. “But so often, it can feel like . . . it’s just a bunch of trivia . . . a test in theology.” “So often, when it comes >> See “EACH” on page 16
APRIL 8, 2016 | THELEAVEN.ORG
ARCHBISHOP
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Archbishop invites all to healing services in archdiocese
was heartbroken as I recently watched “Spotlight,” the movie that received this year’s Oscar for Best Picture. It chronicles the events that resulted in a series of articles by The Boston Globe’s investigative reporting team exposing decades of abuse of minors by 90 priests serving in the Archdiocese of Boston. For anyone who loves the church and her priests, the film is painful to watch. However, that pain is miniscule compared to the suffering of the innocent young people and their families who were victims of the abuse. There are legitimately debatable aspects of the film. “Spotlight” reports that as many as 6 percent of priests serving in Boston were involved with abuse of minors. However, when you compare the number of abusers to the priests serving in the archdiocese over the entire time period of the abuse, the percentage is actually lower. “Spotlight” suggests that celibacy is to blame for the abuse, but none of the data with which I am familiar supports that assertion. “Spotlight” claims that the abuse was not related to homosexuality, even though the vast majority of victims were male. However, these issues pale in comparison to the accuracy of the overall storyline that recounts hundreds of indisputable occurrences of clerical sexual abuse, as well as the failure of church authorities (bishops) to protect young people and to
CALENDAR
ARCHBISHOP NAUMANN
LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS ARCHBISHOP JOSEPH F. NAUMANN prevent perpetrators from having the opportunity to abuse again. One instance of the abuse of a young person by a priest is one too many. Every instance of abuse of children and youth is a tremendous tragedy. As part of our observance of the jubilee Year of Mercy, the archdiocese is sponsoring three Healing Prayer Services. The first will take place at 7 p.m. next Tuesday, April 12, at Good Shepherd Church at 12800 W. 75th St., in Shawnee. The purpose of the Healing Services is to invite Catholics throughout the archdiocese to pray for the healing of all victims of abuse and, in particular, for those victimized by representatives of the church. I invite every member of the archdiocese to attend and join me as we pray for healing for those who have suffered because of the misconduct of a priest or another representative of the church. Your presence and participation in the Healing Service will be
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a manifestation of your concern, compassion and solidarity with abuse victims. I extend a special invitation to victims and their families to participate in these Healing Services. I hope the Lord will use these times of prayer to be a source of grace and healing for all those wounded by the church. The sexual abuse of minors is a huge societal problem. While the vast majority of perpetrators are not priests, when the perpetrator is a priest or a representative of the church, there is an additional insidious ramification. Those abused by priests or other representatives of the church often find it more difficult to go to the one place they should be able to come for help and healing. Priests serve as the human instruments through which Our Lord makes himself present sacramentally in the world. As such, priests represent God to their parishioners. Thus, those sexually abused by clergy often feel abandoned and even betrayed by God. Frequently, this leaves victims alienated from both the church and God. The film “Spotlight”
April 9 Mass — Catholic women’s conference — Church of the Ascension, Overland Park Mass for Institute for Missionary Activity Symposium — Benedictine College, Atchison
Priests Personnel meeting Administrative Team meeting
April 15 Eucharistic adoration — Bishop Miege High School
Healing Service — Good Shepherd, Shawnee
Private appeal Mass and appreciation dinner — Savior Pastoral Center
April 13 Mass — Maur Hill-Mount Academy, Atchison
ARCHBISHOP KELEHER
Confirmation — St. Patrick, Kansas City, Kansas
April 9 Mass — St. Sebastian, Florida
April 10 Mass and dinner with archdiocesan delegation for World Youth Day
April 14 St. Paul’s Outreach Mass and breakfast — Ritz Charles, Overland Park
April 11 Catholic Radio spring radiothon
Religious Alliance Against Pornography conference call
April 14 St. Paul’s Outreach Mass and breakfast
Confirmation — St. Paul, Olathe
Curia meeting — Savior Pastoral Center
Confirmation — St. Michael the Archangel, Leawood
April 12 Donnelly board Higher Learning Commission
Confirmation — St. Michael the Archangel, Leawood
April 15 Confirmation — Queen of the Holy Rosary, Wea
does not address the response of the church in the months and years after the revelations of The Boston Globe investigation. This is a story that also needs to be told. Within a year, “The Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People” was adopted by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. As a result, every diocese is required to have an Independent Review Board, composed of individuals with law enforcement expertise, professionals who provide care to victims, parents, etc. Upon receiving a credible allegation of the abuse of a minor, dioceses are obligated within in a short time to notify the chairperson of the Independent Review Board. Credible abuse is
defined as an allegation that cannot be disproved by the simple facts of the case. The chairperson is to convene the Review Board as soon as possible to examine the allegation and make recommendations to the bishop. The bishop is obligated to consider carefully the analysis and the recommendations of the Independent Review Board. Moreover, every staff member and volunteer who interacts with children and youth must undergo a background check and participate in a safe environment program. These safe environment programs are designed to heighten the awareness of the signs of abuse, as well as to create a culture of best practices to prevent the possibilities for abuse to occur.
Every diocese undergoes regular independent audits to measure compliance with the charter. As a result, I believe that today our churches and schools are the safest places for children and youth. I am committed to making certain that they remain so. As a bishop, I apologize for past failures to protect adequately all parishioners, especially children and youth. I intend to watch “Spotlight” annually as a reminder of my responsibility to be vigilant in the protection of children and youth. Please come and join me at Good Shepherd Church on April 12 to pray for healing for all victims of sexual abuse. May the Father of Mercies heal the wounds inflicted on these innocent hearts!
April 10 Mass — St. Sebastian, Florida
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TWO MEN: OVER A CENTURY OF SERVICE Called a priest’s priest, Father Bertels never stopped evangelizing By Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org
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ANSAS CITY, Kan. — There’s a story of how a parishioner at St. Gregory Parish in Marysville once went early to a 7 a.m. weekday Mass and couldn’t find Father George Bertels. He looked around the church and in the sacristy, but no Father Bertels. Next, the parishioner went to the rectory. When no one answered the doorbell, he went in and called to him, fearing the worst. But Father Bertels wasn’t there either. Finally, he returned to the church, wondering what to do next. To his surprise, there was Father Bertels getting ready for Mass. “Where were you?” the parishioner asked. “The same place I am every morning from 6 to 7 a.m. — in the confessional,” said Father Bertels. “If you ever went to confession, you’d know that.” Father Bertels carried his farmer’s work ethic with him into the priesthood, working long hours and taking care of things himself — whether it was mowing the parish cemetery or fixing the roof. He liked to tinker and fix things. He was tireless in evangelizing, celebrating Mass, hearing confessions, visiting the sick or imprisoned, teaching and just generally doing what needed to be done. He was always on duty and no one can remember him taking a vacation. “One quote I remember from Father George is when he told one of his associates that it didn’t seem like Sunday unless he celebrated four or five Masses,” said Father Mark Mertes, pastor of Christ the King, and Our Lady & St. Rose and Blessed Sacrament parishes in Kansas City, Kansas. Father George Henry Bertels, 87, Leavenworth, died on March 31 at Villa St. Francis in Olathe. Father Bertels was born on June 3, 1928, one of three children — the only son of George and Marie (Forge) Bertels. He grew up on the family farm near Nortonville. The family belonged to St. Joseph Parish in Nortonville. The seeds of his vocation were planted by Sister Justin in the parish school and by his grandmother, both by prayer
Publication No. (ISSN0194-9799) President: Most Reverend Joseph F. Naumann
and example. After he graduated from Nortonville High School in 1946, he worked in a post office, an insurance agency and a bank. He felt the call of the priesthood and attended Conception Seminary in Conception, Missouri, from 1948 to 1951, and then the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., from 1951 to 1955. Father Bertels was ordained on May 28, 1955, by Archbishop Edward J. Hunkeler in St. Peter Cathedral in Kansas City, Kansas. His first pastoral assignment was as assistant pastor at
St. Rose of Lima Parish, also in Kansas City, Kansas. It wasn’t for his work ethic alone that parishioners admired Father Bertels. He was also very caring of individuals, often going above and beyond to console individuals and families during times of illness and death. “He was wonderful,” said Rita Herken, who grew up attending St. Joseph of the Valley Parish. “The people of St. Joseph of the Valley consider Father Bertels a saint.” When the parish built a new hall, it was named after Father Bertels. Dianna Bagby, now one of Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann’s administrative assistants, got her start in church work when she was recruited by Father Bertels. “I was Father Bertels’ secretary at St. Gregory Parish in Marysville,” said Bagby. “Father Bertels was a great >> See “EVEN” on page 4
Author, artist Father Ed Hays brought Eastern travels home By Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org
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ANSAS CITY, Kan. — Father Edward M. Hays was, to many who knew and loved him, one of the most remarkable persons they’d ever had the privilege to know. As an author, artist and storyteller, Father Hays was a gushing spring of creativity. As a priest, he was known for his deep and contemplative spirituality, and as a spiritual guide and adviser.
Father Hays lived with joy and whimsy, and sought to ask the deep questions of life and God in new, fresh and practical ways. At the request of Archbishop Ignatius J. Strecker, he traveled widely, then synthesized all he had learned from other religions and reimagined ways of understanding and living the Catholic faith. Father Hays, 85, died on April 3, Divine Mercy Sunday, at St. Luke Hospice Care in Kansas City, Missouri. He had fallen at his Leavenworth home on the day after Easter Sunday. “He was uniquely able to convey deep mysteries of God in extraordinarily accessible ways through stories, but mostly through the example of his extraordinary life,” said his publisher and longtime friend Tom Turkle. Father Hays was born on Sept. 8, 1931, in Lincoln, Nebraska, one of the four children of Thomas Edward and Margaret (Nye) Hays. He had two brothers and one sister.
Editor Reverend Mark Goldasich, stl frmark.goldasich@theleaven.org
Production Manager Todd Habiger todd.habiger@theleaven.org
Reporter Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org
Managing Editor Anita McSorley anita.mcsorley@theleaven.org
Senior Reporter Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org
Advertising Coordinator Beth Blankenship beth.blankenship@theleaven.org
He attended College View Grade School and High School. The family became members of St. Peter Cathedral Parish in Kansas City, Kansas, when they moved there in 1949. “I grew up in a home that was not particularly pious, but was a very devout Catholic home during the Depression and the Second World War,” said Father Hays in a June 1996 article in St. Anthony Messenger magazine. “My parents practiced ‘incarnational prayer,’” he continued. “We prayed at meals, we prayed at bedtime; prayer was a very important part of our life.” He had been wrestling with the idea of becoming a priest or an artist, until a friend told him he could do both if he became a priest, wrote Tom Fox in a Dec. 21, 2007, article in the National Catholic Reporter. In January 1950, he entered Conception Seminary in Conception, Missouri. He graduated in 1954, and remained for further theological studies. Father Hays was ordained to the priesthood on May 31, 1958, by Archbishop Edward J. Hunkeler at the Cathedral of St. Peter. His first assignment was as associate pastor at Christ the King Parish in Kansas City, Kansas. A great turning point in his life occurred 13 years after his ordination, in 1971. His prayer life needed renewal, so he asked Archbishop Strecker for permission to spend three months at a Trappist monastery. The archbishop surprised him by recommending he take instead a yearlong prayer pilgrimage to Israel, India and Tibet. When he returned, the archbishop asked Father Hays to share what he’d learned by establishing a house of prayer. “Saying ‘yes’ to the invitation to begin a house of prayer was one of the most transforming experiences of my life. Living in a community of prayer with laypeople was a wonderful experience,” said Father Hays in the 1996 St. Anthony Messenger article. Father Hays named the retreat house “Shantivanam,” which is Sanskrit for “Forest of Peace,” and he served as its director until 1995. Still in operation in rural Easton, it is now known as Christ’s Peace House of Prayer. Another turning point in his life >> See “PRIEST” on page 4
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. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. For change of address, provide old and new address and parish. Subscriptions $21/year. Periodicals postage paid at Kansas City, KS 66109.
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LOCAL NEWS
Even in retirement, Father Bertels served >> Continued from page 3 priest. He was serious about his duties, and he was there for the people at all times. And he was very supportive of Catholic education and of stewardship.” “I remember in one of his homilies how he expressed how he loved being a priest,” she added. “You could tell this was true by the way he lived his life.” Father Bertels led the effort to plan and build a new parish center and school addition at St. Gregory Parish. Also, during his second term at Marysville, he was injured during a fire that destroyed the rectory. Father Jim Shaughnessy, who at the time was at a parish to the south, remembered Father Bertels’ keen interest in Catholic education, ministry to the sick and to those who had left the faith. “He was always an evangelizer, working one-on-one,” said Father Shaughnessy. “He was always working on bringing people back to the church. Everyone knew him. He was a kind of self-appointed hospital chaplain, visiting every room about every day.” Monsignor Michael Mullen, pastor of St. Patrick Church in Kansas City, Kansas, in his homily at the Mass of Christian Burial, noted what a warm, welcoming figure Father Bertels was, especially to new Catholics. “His teaching, his preaching, his sacramental ministry, especially in baptism and through the Eucharist, gave our new Catholics an exciting view of life, how to live in this world in Christ and how to be one with Jesus in eternity,” he said. “What hope [he] gave!” “Father Bertels was a priest for 61 years,” he said later. “He was Father Bertels 24/7, as we say. He was always humble, focused on his vocation, grateful for God’s call in his life.” Father Bertels was the kind of priest
to whom younger priests looked up. “He was a priest’s priest and a man’s man,” said Father Richard McDonald, pastor of Holy Angels Parish in Basehor. “He was very kindly toward women. He would assist any priest if asked, if he possibly could. He was helping other parishes right to the end. One of the two Sisters of Charity who helped him said she’d never seen him do a selfish thing. “ An example of his unselfishness was his prison ministry. Although retired, he was at the federal prison three days a week, arriving at 6 a.m. and staying until 9 p.m., completely exhausting himself. “He spent himself entirely on [the prisoners],” said Father McDonald. “He allowed himself to receive the insults and displaced anger of those men. He knew they had no one to vent to, so they’d vent to him. The Sisters thought he was heroic.” “He loved being a priest,” confirmed Father Dennis Schaab, CPPS, chaplain to the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. He and Father Bertels shared the priests’ residence at the Sister of Charity of Leavenworth motherhouse. “He was very prayerful, always reliable, and always on time — a good example to me,” Father Schaab continued. “He thought every priest should work in a prison. Kind of like the pope, he thought the church should go out and help people.” Father Bertels was preceded in death by his parents and a sibling, Sister Marie Ann Bertels, SCL. He is survived by a sister, Delores Bolin of Goddard. The Mass of Christian Burial was held for Father Bertels on April 5 at the Annunciation Chapel at the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth motherhouse. The celebrant was Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann. Burial was at St. Joseph Cemetery in Nortonville. Memorials are suggested to the seminary en-
Assignments • 1955: Assistant pastor at St. Rose of Lima Parish, Kansas City, Kansas, and taught at Bishop Ward High School in Kansas City, Kansas • 1957: Studies in canon law at The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C. Graduated with a Licentiate in Canon Law degree • 1958: Chaplain at Providence Hospital Kansas City, Kansas • 1959: Assisting at Sts. Cyril & Methodius Parish in Kansas City, Kansas • 1960: Administrator pro tempore of St. Joseph Parish, Kansas City, Kansas • 1961: Pastor of St. Joseph of the Valley, rural Leavenworth County • 1965: Pastor of St. Lawrence in Easton and St. Joseph of the Valley • 1966: Pastor of St. Casimir in Leavenworth • 1972: Chaplain at U.S. Penitentiary in Leavenworth • 1981: Pastor of St. Gregory Parish in Marysville • 1991: Pastor of Prince of Peace Parish in Olathe • 1996: Pastor of St. Gregory Parish in Marysville • 2001: Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Topeka • 2006: Pastor of Sacred HeartSt. Joseph Parish, Topeka • 2007: Retired, but continued to serve as judge on the archdiocesan tribunal, celebrate Mass at the motherhouse of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, and was a part-time chaplain at the Leavenworth Veterans Administration Medical Center.
dowment fund of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. Funeral arrangements were by R.L. Leintz Funeral Home of Leavenworth.
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Jane (Johnson) and Richard Elliot, members of St. Stanislaus Parish, Rossville, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on April 16. The couple was married on April 16, 1966, at St. Joseph Church in Conway Springs. Their children are: Kirk Elliott of Emporia and Amy Eaton of Nickerson. They also have two grandchildren. Robert and Joyce (Castanieto) Terry, members of Sacred Heart Parish, Shawnee, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on April 16 with family and friends. The couple was married on April 16, 1966, at St. John the Baptist Church, Kansas City, Kansas. They have two daughters — Michelle Hardy and Annette Ruiz — and two grandchildren. LaVonna and Ron Brown, longtime members of Holy Angels Parish, B a s e hor, and currently members of St. Paul Church, Delphos, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on April 16 with Mass, a renewal of vows and a gathering with their family and friends. The couple was married on April 16, 1966, at St. Paul, by Father Robert Vering.
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Priest sought to nourish Catholics, non-Catholics alike >> Continued from page 3 was when Father Hays began writing books in 1978. Eventually, he wrote more than 30 books and founded Forest of Peace Publishing, now owned by Ave Maria Press. Some of his most popular titles include “Prayers for the Domestic Church,” “A Pilgrim’s Almanac,” “Twelve and One Half Keys,” “The Ethiopian Tattoo Shop” and “The Old Hermit’s Almanac.” “My desire is to write so inclusively and ecumenically that any reader will be able to find spiritual nourishment in my books, regardless of their Christian denomination, and even if they are non-Christian,” said Father Hays in an interview on his website. “I believe the great challenge facing religious writers of this new millennium is to be able to speak to all people of good will, to all who love God regardless by what name they address the divine mystery.” He also said this about writer’s block: “I like to say that I only take dictation: The Spirit is the scribe; I’m only the pen.” “He proceeded to become a prolific and ever-changing fountain of theology and wisdom and insight,” said Pat Marrin, editor of Celebration Publications in Kansas City, Missouri. “He must have reached literally millions of people — not only in the United
States but around the world. I suspect in the spiritual writing world he’s right up there with Henri Nouwen, Richard Rohr, Thomas Berry and others who contributed enormously to the growing edge of a theology that has to be rearticulated or it loses its relevancy to people.” One of the many people who knew Father Hays was a fellow priest, Father Mark Mertes, pastor of Our Lady & St. Rose, Christ the King and Blessed Sacrament parishes in Kansas City, Kansas. “Ed was and is bigger than life,” said Father Mertes. “He’s whimsical, challenging, provocative and grounded. Ed was both traditional and revolutionary. He was a synthesizer. He brought together various ways of looking at life and spirituality and the church. It was part of his genius. He synthesized so much spirituality and rooted it in the Christ experience.” One could say that Father Hays wrote his own conclusion in his Holy Week blog entry, “The Door of Death.” “On our fateful day, like the dying Jesus, we will plunge into oneness in the Mystery of Life, God.” Father Hays was preceded in death by his parents and two siblings: Joe Hays and Sister Jane Hays, SCL. He is survived by a brother, Tom Hays. The funeral Mass for Father Hays,
Assignments • 1958: Associate pastor at Christ the King Parish in Kansas City, Kansas • 1960: Associate pastor at Assumption Parish in Topeka • 1964: Administrator pro tempore at St. Bernard Parish in Wamego • 1964: Pastor at St. Dominic Parish in Holton, St. Francis Parish in Mayetta, and chaplain at Our Lady of the Snows Shrine on the Potawatomi Indian Reservation. • 1971: On leave for a year • 1972-95: Established and served as director of Shantivanam, an archdiocesan house of prayer. • 1996: Sabbatical for a year • 1997: Chaplain at three correctional facilities in Lansing, and the ministry of writing for the church • 2001: Retired
with Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann as celebrant, was celebrated on April 7 at St. Joseph Church in Leavenworth. Father Hays was buried in Mt. Olivet Cemetery at St. Joseph of the Valley Parish in rural Leavenworth County. Funeral arrangements were by the R.L. Leintz Funeral Home of Leavenworth.
Heschmeyer receives the ministry of acolyte
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n March 13, Cardinal James Michael Harvey, archpriest of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls in Rome, conferred the ministry of acolyte in the chapel of the Pontifical North American College, Rome, on Joseph Heschmeyer, a member of Church of the Nativity in Leawood and a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. In all, 42 men received the ministry of acolyte. The seminarians, Joseph Heschmeyer currently in their second year of formation for the priesthood, will have two additional years of theological studies and spiritual formation before being ordained to the priesthood in their home dioceses.
Correction The March 18 issue of The Leaven misidentified the church where Robyn Hornstein gave her presentation on Divine Mercy as part of The Leaven’s 24 Hours For the Lord coverage. Hornstein spoke at St. Joseph Church in Leavenworth. The Leaven regrets the error.
APRIL 8, 2016 | THELEAVEN.ORG
LOCAL NEWS
Retreat to focus on mercy through the Sacred Heart of Jesus
By Therese Horvat Special to The Leaven
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ASEHOR — As retreat master for the upcoming Easter season retreat at Holy Angels Parish here, Father Joseph Carola, SJ, will draw upon his lifelong devotion to the Sacred Heart, his Jesuit experience of Ignatian spirituality and his extensive knowledge of early Christianity. “Mercy, the Sacred Heart of Jesus and You” is the title of the retreat that is open to people throughout the archdiocese and from across the Greater Kansas City metropolitan area. Father Joseph, an internationally known professor, will be the homilist at the 8 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Masses on April 17 at Holy Angels, located at 154th and Leavenworth Road. Retreat sessions are then scheduled from April 18 through April 20, 7 to 8 p.m., preceded by Mass at 6:30 p.m. each evening in the main church. Father Joseph will also be available for 20-minute time periods of individual spiritual direction from 10 a.m. to noon and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Wednesday, with appointment times posted at the retreat. Father Joseph is currently on sabbatical from his teaching position in Rome at the Pontifical Gregorian University. Recognizing that he would be in the United States on his sabbatical for most of the Year of Mercy, Father Joseph accepted the invitation of Holy Angels pastor and former classmate Father Richard McDonald to give the Easter season retreat at the parish. Themes for the three nights of the retreat will center on the paschal mystery — Christ’s passion, death and resurrection — with emphasis on the gift of mercy made possible for humankind through the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The first night, Father Joseph will preach on the passion from the Gospel of St. John with its imagery of Mary at the foot of the cross, and Jesus’ side and sacred heart pierced by the lance.
Archdiocese hosts healing services for those who’ve been harmed, abused By Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org
K Father Joseph Carola, SJ, meets with Pope Francis. Father Joseph, an internationally known professor, will lead a retreat at Holy Angels Parish in Basehor April 18-20. The second night will focus on the risen Lord Jesus crucified, revealing his wounds to the apostles after the resurrection, doubting Thomas and the imparting of the Holy Spirit. The retreat will close on the third night with reflections on apparitions of the risen Lord crucified to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque, St. Faustina and other saints. Through the three retreat sessions, Father Joseph’s goal is that participants will encounter the Lord in his great mercy. This will be facilitated through opportunities for prayer, adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Mass and the sacrament of reconciliation. “We live in a difficult time,” said Father Joseph. “The only way forward for us is mercy. Our Lord’s mercy and forgiveness allow us to break forth out of cycles of sin and addictions and to move forward. Pope Francis emphasizes this often: We need to live in the Lord’s mercy and share the Lord’s mercy going forward.” Father Joseph dates his personal devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus to his youth. He remembers a large image of the Sacred Heart
that was prominently displayed in his family’s home. Once when the family moved to another house, the image hung on the wall above the sofa where the young boy slept while his room was being organized. Father Joseph recalls feeling lonely because he had moved away from friends. He knelt before the image and prayed that Jesus would remain his friend and consecrated himself to the Sacred Heart. Originally from Houston, Father Joseph was ordained in 1993, is fluent in several languages and teaches patristic studies, which covers the theology developed in the first five centuries of Christianity. He has authored or contributed to multiple books and publications. His work in Rome has introduced the Jesuit to three popes, and he was appointed by Pope Benedict XVI a consultor for the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments. Registration is not required for the retreat at Holy Angels that is free of charge. Participants will have the opportunity to make a freewill donation each evening. For more information, call Holy Angels, Monday through Friday, at (913) 724-1665.
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www.amosfamily.com
ANSAS CITY, Kan. — Are you hurting? Jesus offers his healing and compassion to you. As he did in the Gospels, Jesus continues to heal through his church. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann has invited anyone who has been affected by any sort of abuse or harm — by representatives of the church or others — to take part in one or more of three healing services scheduled at different times and locations here in the archdiocese. HEALING The first healSERVICES ing service is at 7 p.m. on April 12 at April 12 at 7 p.m. Good Shepherd Good Shepherd Parish, 12800 W. 12800 W. 75th Shawnee 75th, Shawnee. “This isn’t just July 12 at 7 p.m. for those who have Sacred Heart been abused by 101 Cottonwood representatives of Emporia the church,” said Father John Riley, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m. archdiocesan Christ the King chancellor. “This is 5973 S.W. 25th intended for other Topeka victims of abuse as well, whether it be in their family, workplace or other ecclesial communities.” A healing service can be an important step for someone who has been abused. “For me, having attended a healing service in another [diocese], I was very appreciative of what would take place during this hourlong service,” said an abuse survivor. “With many people in attendance, the apprehension faded quickly with the low-key and quiet approach. I was not once made to be uncomfortable or angry while attending.” “The archbishop will be present at all to preach, pray and shepherd,” said Father Riley. “We’ll have intercessory prayer as well.” The healing service is for any victim of any kind of abuse — physical, mental, sexual — and those who want to pray for them. “I saw the title ‘Healing Service’ and I think we all know that healing is not a magical, one-time event,” said another abuse victim. “For myself — and perhaps many of us who were wounded in our early Catholic school days — healing has been an ongoing journey, and we experience painful hills and valleys.” “As I am learning to trade isolation, guilt and shame — and yes, anger — for a way back to my childhood faith community, I truly see these services as a way for people of the church to take that one small step also.” Other healing services will be held at 7 p.m. on July 12 at Sacred Heart Parish, 101 Cottonwood, Emporia; and 7 p.m. on Nov. 7 at Christ the King Parish, 5973 S.W. 25th, Topeka. “It is our fervent hope and prayer the healing services will, for many people, bring some form or beginning of healing, wholeness and peace in their lives through Christ and his church,” said Father Riley. For information or questions, contact Maura Dodson at (913) 647-0367 or send an email to: mdodson@archkck.org.
APRIL 8, 2016 | THELEAVEN.ORG
LOCAL NEWS USM presents ‘The People’s Pope’ with BBC reporter David Willey
WEB EXCLUSIVE
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EAVENWORTH — The University of Saint Mary here and the Kansas City Public Library will present “The People’s Pope: The Man, the Pope, and the Challenge of Change” with David Willey, a 40-year veteran BBC correspondent for Vatican City, at 6:30 p.m. on April 18 at the Kansas City Public Library Plaza Branch, 4801 Main St., Kansas City, Missouri. The lecture is free and open to the public. Seating is limited — RSVPs are requested by phone at (816) 701-3407 or online at: stmary.edu/Vatican. With his unparalleled access to the inner workings of the Vatican, Willey will chronicle how a man who confounds all predictions came to lead the Catholic Church as the first-ever pontiff from the Americas. Willey will explore the legacy Pope Francis is leaving behind as he continues to surprise Catholics and non-Catholics alike with his challenging words and bold actions, having just celebrated his third anniversary in the papal office. The longtime journalist will highlight the hopes Francis has set forth and the changes he’s already made — like appointing bishops and archbishops from small nations on the periphery to the College of Cardinals. Willey will look at what he argues is the most remarkable quality of Francis: his ability to present himself as an ordinary man — one who shares memories of his childhood in Argentina and calls the church to be a field hospital helping the wounded after battle.
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Bishop Ward hires new football coach
ANSAS CITY, Kan. — Bishop Ward High School head football coach Tim Dorian will step down as coach for next season. Dorian has been building the football program here for the last four years as head coach taking the team to the bi-district playoff game in 2013. As a former player of the program, Dorian is a loyal alumnus who believes in the future of the program and the school. Although the Cyclones have struggled with their record and number of wins, the overall attitude about the football program continues to remain positive. Under Dorian, several players have gone on to play at the collegiate level. “We are very sad to see Coach Dorian leave, but we are so thankful for the time he spent with our students and the groundwork he laid for future football teams in Cyclone Country. He was a strong mentor for our students and truly embodied what it means to be a Cyclone,” said
Bishop Ward president Father Thomas Schrader, O.Carm. Kameron Ridley, Bishop Ward athletic director and assistant under Dorian for the last three years, will take over as head football coach for the 2016 season. Ridley is originally from Dalton, Georgia, and attended the University of St. Mary in Leavenworth, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in history and secondary education. While at St. Mary, he was a captain of the football team and received honorable mention as a running back for the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference. “I would like to thank Tim for all of his hard work, dedication to the football team, and the opportunity to learn underneath him. I am excited to take on this new journey and continue to build upon the foundation he has laid,” said Ridley. Ridley will take over the spring workouts and be adding to his coaching staff for next season.
CHURCH OF THE WEEK All Saints Parish at St. Joseph Kansas City, Kansas Address: 811 Vermont Ave., 66101 Phone: (913) 371-1837 Pastor: Father Anthony Ouellette Mass Times: Sunday, 8:30 a.m.; 11:30 a.m. (en español); 1:30 p.m. (en español); 5 p.m. (en español) Email: allsaintsparish@sbcglobal.net Website: http://www.allsaints parishkck.org
Video
A video tour of this church is available online at: www.theleaven.org.
More photos of this church can be seen online at: www.theleaven.org.
The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas & Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann Invite anyone impacted by any abuse or harm by representatives of the church or others to attend
HEALING SERVICES
“Come to me, all who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.” —Mt. 11:28 We invite all of God’s children to come join us in prayer for healing of those who have been abused. For additional information or questions, contact Maura Dodson at (913) 647-0367 or mdodson@archkck.org, or go to: http://www.archkck.org/healing-service-faqs
TUESDAY APRIL 12 7 p.m. Good Shepherd 12800 W 75th Shawnee, Kansas
TUESDAY JULY 12 7 p.m. Sacred Heart 101 Cottonwood Emporia, Kansas
MONDAY NOVEMBER 7 7 p.m. Christ the King 5973 SW 25th Topeka, Kansas
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APRIL 8, 2016 | THELEAVEN.ORG
COMMENTARY
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The surprising new normal in the abortion debate Editor’s note: This commentary originally appeared in the Jan. 21 issue of the National Review Online. ©2016 National Review. Used with permission. By Carl A. Anderson Special to The Leaven
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here is a new normal in the abortion debate because what it means to be “pro-choice” in America has changed. It is a change likely to be missed in the reporting on this [year’s] annual March for Life in Washington, D.C. But it is a change that could be one of the biggest surprises in an already-surprising presidentialelection cycle. Each year about this time, breathless headlines announce that the “pro-life” or “pro-choice” label is preferred by a narrow majority of Americans, yet it remains a more or less 50–50 proposition. In other words, the message is that America remains “a house divided,” unable or unwilling to change the status quo. But this narrative hides the reality that the decades-long debate over abortion actually has achieved a solid consensus. The idea that the “pro-choice” label represents a monolithic lobby made up of half of all Americans favoring an unrestricted right to abortion is simply not true. Instead, there is a new normal favoring substantial restrictions on abortion — and that consensus is made possible because of the agreement of a majority of Americans who call themselves “prochoice.”
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“IT IS TIME FOR A NEW DISCUSSION ON ABORTION, ONE NOT BASED ON LABELS, BUT ON THE REAL VIEWS OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.” Despite the rhetoric of some in politics and the media, a substantial majority of men and women — including those who say they are “pro-choice” — consistently support increasing restrictions on abortion. Those who say they are “pro-life” reliably support abortion restrictions in overwhelming numbers. But it would likely shock most Washington pundits that the majority of those who say they are pro-choice also support such restrictions. And yet, surveys conducted by Marist, one of the country’s top polling groups, show that this is exactly the case. Consider the data from the most recent Marist poll on the issue: Eight in 10 Americans (81 percent) would restrict abortion to, at most, the first three months of pregnancy. This includes 66 percent of those who identify as pro-choice. About six in 10 Americans, and about the same number of pro-choice adher-
ents, would ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy. More than two-thirds of Americans (68 percent), and a majority of those who call themselves pro-choice (51 percent), would ban taxpayer funding of abortion. Politically, “pro-choice” has come to mean supporting abortion rights throughout pregnancy and opposing all restrictions. But that’s not the way the average person thinks when he says he is prochoice. The idea that we should abort a seven-pound baby the day before its due date is just out of step with the vast majority of Americans. And it’s out of step with the vast majority of pro-choice Americans, too — about eight in 10 of them reject this extreme position. In fact, about a quarter of those who call themselves pro-choice (26 percent) support what is commonly seen as a strongly pro-life position: They would limit abortion to cases only of rape or incest or to save the life of the mother. In other words, those who identify as pro-choice are more likely to share the position of those who identify as pro-life than they are to share the position of the abortion-rights lobby and its defenders in politics and the media. Given these numbers, it should be no surprise, then, that there has been such an increase of proposed legislation at the state and federal level to restrict the nearly unrestricted abortion access established by Roe v. Wade more than four decades ago. Such legislation isn’t the imposition of
the will of one half of Americans on the other half. It is, instead, most often a reflection of an overwhelming consensus made possible by a majority of those who say they are “pro-choice.” No wonder that more than three-quarters of Americans (77 percent) say that laws can protect both a mother and her unborn child, and that more than seven in 10 who say they are pro-choice (71 percent) agree. Though widely unacknowledged in Washington and by the national media, unity — not division — is the new normal for the abortion debate in America. Forty-three years after Roe v. Wade, the American people have reached a consensus on an issue the pundits have told us is “unsolvable.” The Marist poll, sponsored by the Knights of Columbus, has been conducted on this issue for nearly a decade, and it has shown a remarkably consistent agreement of about eight in 10 Americans in favor of significant abortion restrictions. It is time for a new discussion on abortion, one not based on labels, but on the real views of the American people. It is time to talk about this issue as it is and to craft restrictions that the vast majority of us agree on, rather than trying to keep in place a legal regime the American people never asked for and clearly do not support. — Carl A. Anderson is CEO of the Knights of Columbus and author of “Beyond A House Divided: The Moral Consensus Ignored by Washington, Wall Street and the Media.”
Where ‘bienvenue’ is spelled ‘bon appetit’ Brothers open up both their home and their tale to neighbors each week
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BY JILL RAGAR ESFELD
The din resumes as food is passed from plate to plate, and guests tell their ANSAS City, Kan. stories and express gratitude for this — Eugene is the time together. The atmosphere is reminiscent of a first to arrive at the Community big family at holiday dinner; yet, many of the Lamb Open of the people at the table have only recently met. Table here. “People come from one week to anLittle Brothers other,” said Little Brother Christophe. Christophe, Joa“And they ask news of the ones who are chim and Franmost suffering, the ones who are sick, cois greet him warmly. the ones who have Though it is Saturday, Eugene’s dressed “OUR PURPOSE IS NOT TO troubles. “They show conin his Sunday best as HAVE A SOUP KITCHEN TO cern for the lives of he enters the refectoothers, and that is a ry where tables have SERVE THE POOR. OUR great moment.” been arranged in a the midst of stowelcoming circle. PURPOSE IS TO HAVE THE riesInabout jail, poverPlaces are beautity, addiction, violence fully set with white POOR AT OUR TABLE, TO and family estrangeceramic plates, blue SHARE LIFE, TO SHARE ments, Eugene shouts napkins, tall water out, “Praise the Lord, flasks and bowls of CONVERSATION. I’m here!” fresh flowers. Little Brother Eugene politely LITTLE BROTHER CHRISTOPHE Christophe responds removes his hat and with a smile, “We are takes a seat. Mike arrives next, less formally at- glad you are here today!” This is the fruit of the Brothers’ Open tired and complaining of painful blisters on his feet, his only means of transpor- Table, a safe place where those worn out by life’s struggles put aside their burtation. He brings along Charles who intro- dens for one afternoon and feel support, duces himself as homeless and just out companionship and joy. Melanie, who is sitting beside Eugene, of jail, but “starting to have a better relasays, “We all need to find happiness tionship with God.” Guests continue to trickle in: Crystal, wherever we can.” Then she tells the group she feels a Santiago, Melanie, Augustine, Minnesota and many more from this impoverished need to sing. “I’m not a singer,” she says, “but my neighborhood. Bible tells me I should make a joyful Friends come from the suburbs, too, noise.” anxious to join in the Little Brothers’ She sings a hymn from her youth and community meal and open their hearts to people from a very different walk of many from the group spontaneously join in. life. It is ad lib at the Open Table, and no “Our purpose is not to have a soup kitchen to serve the poor,” explained one seems surprised. As the meal winds down, Little BrothLittle Brother Christophe about the er Christophe passes a basket containing weekly event. “Our purpose is to have small cards inscribed with Bible verses the poor at our table, to share life, to and companion prayers. share conversation. Each guest takes a card and reads “Everybody is made part of the family the inscription aloud. People are visiwhen they enter this room.” bly moved by what they read and how it seems to apply to them personally. Minnesota, who’s had a difficult week, reads, “The world and its desires pass Soon the small refectory is crowded away, but whoever does the will of God with people and loud with conversation. lives forever.” She breaks down in tears, and MelaThen, Little Brother Christophe clinks nie rushes over to comfort her. his water glass with a spoon. “People are getting to know each Silence. The group stands to listen to the day’s other,” said Little Brother Joachim. “We Gospel, repeating key verses together are creating a community.” Charles quietly asks if he can keep his and giving thanks for the meal they’re card. It’s clear he’s found a treasure in about to receive.
At the end of the meal, Little Brother Christophe invites each guest to take a card inscribed with a Bible v
Eat, pray, love and sing
Little Sister Paula, on a visit from Barcelona, Spain, gets to know the local community at the Open Table his verse that he will read over and over again.
A bigger space The Open Table is one of many rea-
sons the Little Brothers of the Lamb are eager to complete fundraising to build their little monastery “The Open Table began in September,” explained Little Brother Christophe in his careful English. “And it began very little with maybe five people and then it
verse and prayer.
Some guests around the Open Table are visibly touched by the Scripture passages they receive.
How you can help The Little Brothers of the Lamb do not need food donations for their Open Table, as they already have generous assistance with this mission. But they do ask for prayers for the new monastery and help in funding the construction of it. For more information, contact: The Little Brothers of the Lamb online at: littlemonasterybrothers@ gmail.com; write them at Little Brothers of the Lamb, 801 Vermont Ave., Kansas City, KS 66101; or call (913) 998-6644. Donations can be made in the form of a check payable to “The Little Brothers of the Lamb” or online at: www.communautedelagneau.org/ en/little-brothers-kansas-city. All donations are tax deductible.
Little Brother Christophe begins the Open Table by sharing the day’s Gospel with guests.
e. was 10 and now we have maybe 25. “But the facility we have here is small. We cannot welcome more.” The Brothers currently share the former St. Joseph Church rectory in All Saints Parish in Kansas City, Kansas. The monastery they hope to build in
the same neighborhood will have a large refectory where they can welcome more guests and continue to build community. But more importantly, the monastery will provide a place where they can completely embrace their mission, of which the Open Table is only a small part. The Community of the Lamb is a mendicant order. They rely solely on the charity of others for their subsistence. It is through the process of begging for their daily bread — in the footsteps of St. Dominic and St. Francis — that they go out into the world and bring Christ to others. “There is a motto on which the community is founded,” said Little Brother Joachim. “‘Wounded, I will never cease to love.’
“This message of charity, of Jesus being on the cross, is the center of what we live.”
Simple by design Prayer is central to the life of the religious order. Liturgies are celebrated at Lumen Christi, the monastery of the Little Sisters of the Lamb. For this reason, the Brothers’ monastery will be smaller. In addition to the refectory, it will include a cloister with cells for the Brothers and men wishing to experience their life. It will also feature a little library for religious study and an office for administrative and liturgical tasks.
A small chapel for daily prayer will be at the center of the monastery. While any contribution to the construction of their monastery is welcome, the Brothers are asking something else of the people of the archdiocese as well. They are inviting anyone interested in the life of their community to join them for Mass at Lumen Christi and to pray for the successful completion of their monastery. Prayers from those unable to make a visit are also encouraged and appreciated. With the prayers and assistance of the wider community, the Little Brothers look forward with confidence to a groundbreaking in the spring of next year — and soon after, a bigger Open Table. “That is our hope,” said Little Brother Christophe. “This is our mission: to give the Lord to the people.”
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MARCH 25, 2016 | THELEAVEN.ORG
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Mother Angelica, founder of EWTN, dies after long illness
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IRMINGHAM, Ala. (CNS) — Mother Angelica, who founded the Eternal Word Television Network and turned it into one of the world’s largest religious media operations, died March 27 at age 92. Feisty and outspoken, she was a major controversial figure in the U.S. church in the closing decades of the 20th century. At the same time, the international scope of EWTN’s media operations gave her a ready calling card at the Vatican. She built the venture into a network that transmits programs 24 hours a day to more than 230 million homes in 144 countries via cable and other technologies. It broadcasts in English and several other languages. Mother Angelica had been ill for years. She had an operation on Dec. 24, 2001, in a Birmingham hospital to remove a blood clot in her brain after she suffered her second major stroke. It left her with partial paralysis and a speech impediment. Last November, she was placed on a feeding tube as she continued to battle lingering effects of the strokes. In February, members of her religious order, the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, said she was in delicate condition and asked for prayers for her. Mother Angelica died at her order’s Our Lady of Angels Monastery in Hanceville, Alabama, where she “was surrounded by the prayers and love of her spiritual daughters, sons and dear friends,” said a statement from the Poor Clares. “This is a sorrow-filled day for the entire EWTN family. Mother [Angelica] has always, and will always, personify EWTN, the network which she founded,” Michael P. Warsaw, chairman and CEO, said in a statement. “In the face of sickness and longsuffering trials, [Mother Angelica’s] example of joy and prayerful perseverance exemplified the Franciscan spirit she held so dear. We thank God for Mother Angelica and for the gift of her extraordinary life,” he said. “Her accomplishments and legacies in evangelization throughout the world are nothing short of miraculous and can only be attributed to divine providence and her unwavering faithfulness to Our Lord.” In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI awarded the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice Cross to Mother Angelica and Deacon Bill Steltemeier, then-chairman of EWTN’s board of governors, for distinguished service to the church. The cross, whose name is Latin for “for the church and the pope,” is the highest papal honor that can be conferred on laypeople and clergy. Because of ill health, Mother Angelica received the award in her private quarters. But in the public ceremony, Bishop Robert J. Baker of Birmingham said, “Mother Angelica’s effort has been at the vanguard of the new evangelization and has had a great impact on our world.”
Catholic leaders reflect on life, work of Mother Angelica
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CNS PHOTO/COURTESY EWTN
Mother Angelica, 92, founder of the Eternal Word Television Network, died March 27 at the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration monastery in Hanceville, Alabama. She is pictured in an undated photo. Before starting EWTN, Mother Angelica wrote what she called “mini-books” on moral and inspirational themes. The popularity of the mini-books attracted media attention, and Mother Angelica began appearing on television talk shows. She said these appearances made her aware of the tremendous influence television has in spreading messages. Prior to starting EWTN, Mother Angelica was renting studio space from a Birmingham television station to produce videotapes of her talks on religious issues for airing on the Christian Broadcasting Network. She broke the relationship with the network after it aired a movie she considered blasphemous. With the support of her religious community, Mother Angelica began consulting with media experts about starting her own TV station, hatching the idea of EWTN. She was granted a license by the Federal Communications Commission, and EWTN went on the air in August 1981. She began with $200 and little knowledge about TV production. The operation started in a building meant to be a garage on the grounds of the Our Lady of the Angels Monastery she headed in the Irondale suburb of Birmingham. Originally, its daily programming of several hours was carried by
three cable systems. In 1992, Mother Angelica launched the shortwave EWTN Global Catholic Radio which broadcasts in English and Spanish. In 1996, EWTN started a satellite-delivered AM/FM radio network with programming also available for rebroadcast by local stations. In 1998, Mother Angelica stepped down as the head of EWTN and Deacon Steltemeier was appointed chairman and CEO. He died in 2013. Mother Angelica was born April 20, 1923, as Rita Rizzo in an Italian neighborhood in Canton, Ohio. She described her childhood as rough. Her father abandoned the family when she was young and her parents eventually divorced. She lived with her mother and said their existence was marked by poverty. In 1944, she joined her religious order and professed her solemn vows in Canton in 1953 as Sister Mary Angelica of the Annunciation. In 1962, she founded Our Lady of the Angels Monastery, a move she said was to fulfill a promise to Christ if she emerged from an operation able to walk. The operation was necessary after she slipped while using an electric scrubbing machine and was thrown against the wall, injuring her spine. After the operation, she used a leg brace.
ASHINGTON (CNS) — Mother Angelica “reflected the Gospel commission to go forth and make disciples of all nations” said Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, president of the U.S. bishops’ conference. “Like the best evangelists, she used the communications tools of her time to make this happen,” he said. “She displayed a unique capacity for mission and showed the world once again the vital contribution of women religious.” Archbishop Kurtz was one of several Catholic leaders who took note of the March 27 death of Mother Angelica, a Poor Clare of Perpetual Adoration, who founded the Eternal Word Television Network. Virtually all of them, at one time or another, had appeared on EWTN. “Her work, begun in the cloister, reached across the globe,” Archbishop Kurtz said in a March 28 statement. “She was a convincing sign as to how even the humblest of beginnings can yield abundant fruit.” Archbishop Charles J. Chaput of Philadelphia, who served on the EWTN board of directors for many years, called Mother Angelica “a woman of extraordinary faith, intelligence, energy and determination.” He added he “saw firsthand the tremendously positive impact her work for Jesus Christ had on many millions of people.” “Mother Angelica brought the truth and the love and the life of the Gospel of Jesus to so many people, not only to our Catholic household of faith, but to many thousands of people who are not Catholic, in that beautiful way she had of touching lives, bringing so many people into the Catholic faith,” said Bishop Robert J. Baker of Birmingham, Alabama, in whose diocese EWTN is located. “Mother Angelica was a pioneer of the new evangelization before that term ever became popular,” said Msgr. Walter Rossi, rector of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, the site of many Masses telecast live each year by EWTN. “By providing religious programming, the Mass and devotions, first by television and now by every form of communications media, Mother Angelica and EWTN proclaimed the message of the Gospel to millions of people throughout the world,” he said.
CLASSIFIEDS EMPLOYMENT Sales professional - We respect your many years of experience; we value and need your wisdom. We only ask if you are “coachable”? If so, Catholic Cemeteries of Northeast Kansas has openings for sales trainees in our Johnson, Shawnee and Wyandotte County area cemeteries. An excellent earning of $40K to $50K+ in commissions is legitimate income potential for the first year. Training allowance your first 30 days, then draw commission with bonus opportunities. Medical, life, dental, optical, prescription, 401(k) plans, etc., are some of the many perks our employees receive. Excellent opportunities for women and men interested in a sales career and in helping people. Advancement opportunities are available for hard-working and focused individuals. Must be willing to work some evenings and weekends when our client families are available to see us in their homes. Once you learn our formula for success, your schedule is determined by you. Please email your resume and contact information to: dvanthullenar @cathcemks.org or fax to (913) 353-1413. Facility evening manager: - St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Leawood is seeking a full-time facility assistant for the position of evening manager. Responsibilities will include janitorial duties, setups for meetings, routine maintenance projects and securing all buildings at the end of the evening. This position is eligible for the archdiocesan benefits package, and compensation will be commensurate with experience. Please see our website at: www.stmichaelcp.org for complete details. Extended care coordinator - Experience in planning and overseeing activities for children from kindergarten through elementary age is a must. Strong organizational and supervisory skills required. Candidate must complete necessary background checks and qualification requirements. For more information, contact Theresa at (913) 248-4589. Drivers - Special Beginnings Early Learning Center is seeking part-time drivers for its school-age program located in Lenexa. Candidates must be able to drive a 13-passenger minibus, similar to a 15-passenger van. CDL not required, but must have an excellent driving record. Candidates would pick up children from area schools and then work directly with them when arriving back at the center. Experience preferred. Must have strong work ethic and the ability to work with children. Insurance provided. Background check will be conducted. Great opportunity for retired persons or those seeking a second job. Job responsibilities include: ensuring safety and well-being of children who are being transported at all times, including loading and unloading. Driving short, round-trip routes to elementary schools in Lenexa/Olathe area. Summer only: Driving short, round- trip routes to two Lenexa city pools. Maintaining mileage log. Keeping interior of vehicle clean. Apply by sending an email to chris@special beginningsonline.com or in person at 10216 Pflumm Rd., Lenexa, KS 66215. Teacher assistant - Special Beginnings, Lenexa, is seeking full- or part-time after school teacher assistants at all locations. We are looking for a teacher assistant candidate who has an excellent work ethic, heart for children, and a willingness to learn more about early childhood education. Experience and/or education is a plus but we will train the right candidate. Teacher assistants will work with the lead teacher to care for and educate the children. Primary responsibilities include assisting the lead teacher with: care and supervision of children, lesson plan implementation, parent communication, cleanliness and organization of classroom. Starting hourly pay ranges based on experience and education. Pay increases are based on job performance. Opportunities for advancement are available as the company prefers to promote from within. Apply by sending an email to chris@ specialbeginningsonline.com or in person at 10216 Pflumm Rd., Lenexa, KS 66215. Afternoon teachers - Prince of Peace Early Education Center in Olathe is seeking afternoon teachers. There are openings in our 2-year-olds room and our school-age room from 2:30 - 6 p.m., M-F. Experience preferred for the 2-yearolds classroom; one year of experience in a child care center required for the school-age program. We are looking for the right candidates to fill these positions and we offer a competitive hourly wage. Contact Amanda at (913) 829-2728. Healing Assistance Coordinator - The office of child and youth protection (OCYP) for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is seeking an individual to fill a new part-time position, healing assistance coordinator. This position is responsible for providing support to and identifying resources for victims and their families in cases of sexual abuse by clergy or other archdiocesan personnel. This individual will manage treatment referrals and resources for individuals and families affected and foster reconciliation between the church and these individuals. In their role as a staff member of the OCYP, the position works closely with the director of the OCYP, the vicar for clergy and the report investigator. Minimum qualifications include a bachelor’s degree in social work or a closely related field, and/or experience related to victim support; intermediate competency in MS Office Suite; and must be a practicing Catholic in good standing. A complete job description, application and benefits information are available on the archdiocese’s website at: www.archkck.org/ jobs. Interested individuals should mail cover letter, resume, application to: Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, Office of Human Resources, Healing Assistance Coordinator, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109, or send via email to: jobs@archkck.org. Office manager - The Didde Catholic Campus Center in Emporia is seeking an office manager who can work closely with college students and has a passion for the Catholic mission to higher education. This position includes receptionist duties, maintaining church records, managing and ordering supplies, training and supervising staff and volunteers, and assisting with fundraising. Experience preferred. Full-time position with benefits. Send cover letter and resume to: DCCC, 1415 Merchant St., Emporia, KS 66801 or send an email to: dccc-emp@sbcglobal.net.
APRIL 8, 2016 | THELEAVEN.ORG English and Spanish teachers - Bishop Miege High School has teacher openings for English and Spanish for the 2016 - 2017 school year. Send letter of interest and resume to Mariann Jaksa at: mjaksa@bishopmiege.com. Drivers - Assisted Transportation is now hiring caring and reliable drivers to transport K-12 students to and from school and other activities in company minivans. Positions are now available in Olathe, Overland Park and Kansas City, Kansas. Competitive wages and flexible schedules. CDL not required. Retirees encouraged to apply. Call (913) 262-3100 or apply online at: AssistedTransportation.com. EEO. Seasonal park maintenance workers - The city of Lenexa is seeking seasonal park maintenance workers in our turf, landscape and facilities division of the parks and recreation department. The turf division is responsible for mowing and edging turf using ride-on, stand-on and walk behind mowers. Other responsibilities include caring for the turf by aerating, weeding, removing thatch, or trimming/edging around flower beds, walks or walls. The landscape division is responsible for maintaining all the landscape in the city. Duties include planting of annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees. The facilities division is responsible for maintaining city facilities and structures such as buildings, fountains, fences and benches using hand and power tools. This position will also be servicing, cleaning and inspecting playgrounds, swimming pools, structures, picnic shelters and other areas for hazards and safety issues. Requirements: High school diploma or GED, valid driver’s license with good driving record. Offers of employment are conditional upon successful completion of physical, drug screen and background investigation. Starting salary is $13.55 per hour with the position not to exceed 1500 hours in the calendar year. To apply or for additional information, visit our website at: www.lenexa. com/hr/career.html. Service technician - Growing biomedical company is seeking a service technician. Qualified candidates must be self-motivated with good communication skills, be mechanically inclined, electrical knowledge a plus, have the ability to troubleshoot and be available for overnight travel, up to 50%. Transportation required. Email resume to: Yourcareer101@ gmail.com. Preschool cook – The Goddard School in northwest Olathe is looking for a fun, energetic and organized person for our preschool cook position. This person will prepare a.m./p.m. snack and lunch for the entire school. Hours can be either part time or full time. The candidate must be organized, self-motivated, have strong time management skills and enjoy working with children. Responsibilities include: Managing a food budget; ensuring safe handling and preparation of all food; managing and updating a four-week rotating menu that includes a.m./p.m. snacks and lunch for approximately 140 students; ensuring menus are in compliance with state, federal and Goddard regulations at all times; maintain appropriate portion sizes and ensure that all meals are served in a timely manner; maintain a clean, organized kitchen at all times; maintain inventory; place food and paper/cleaning product supply orders weekly. Owners are Ascension parishioners. Send resume to: olathe2ks@goddardschools.com. Infant teachers - Knowledge and experience preferred in the care of infants. Daytime hours and no weekends. The candidate must complete necessary background checks and qualification requirements. St. Joseph Early Education Center, Shawnee. For more information, contact Theresa at (913) 248-4589. Drivers needed - Medi Coach Transportation is looking for caring and reliable drivers for nonemergency transportation. CDL is not required. Contact Jeff at (913) 825-1921. Career Opportunity - Due to the success and growth of the Knights of Columbus, we are adding a financial representative in the Kansas City metro, Atchison and Topeka area. Ideal for a determined, high energy, high expectation, professional, self-disciplined, independent individual desiring to serve others, yet earn a better than average income. We provide top-rated financial products to our members and their families and will provide excellent benefits and training. Please contact John A. Mahon, general agent, for more information or an interview at 1275 Topeka Blvd.., Topeka, KS 66612 or call (785) 408-8806. You can also send an email to: john. mahon@kofc.org.
SERVICES Agua Fina Irrigation and Landscape The one-stop location for your project! Landscape and irrigation design, Installation and maintenance. Cleanup and grading services It’s time to repair your lawn. 20% discount on lawn renovations with mention of this ad. Visit the website at: www.goaguafina.com Call (913) 530-7260 or (913) 530-5661 Bankruptcy consultation - If debts are overwhelming you, seek hope and help from compassionate, experienced Catholic attorney, Teresa Kidd. For a free consultation, call (913) 422-0610; send an email to: tkidd@kc.rr.com; or visit the website at: www.teresakiddlawyer.com. Please do not wait until life seems hopeless before getting good quality legal advice that may solve your financial stress. Rodman Lawn Care Lawn mowing, aeration, verticutting. Hedge trimming, mulch, leaf removal. Fully insured and free estimates. John Rodman (913) 548-3002 Mike Hammer local moving - A full-service mover. Packing, pianos, rental truck load/unload, storage container load/unload, and in-home moving. No job too small. Serving JoCo since 1987. St. Joseph, Shawnee, parishioner. Call Mike at (913) 927-4347 or send an email to: mike@mikehammermoving.com.
Tree service - Pruning trees for optimal growth and beauty and removal of hazardous limbs or problem trees. Free consultation and bid. Safe, insured, professional. Cristofer Estrada, Green Solutions of KC; (913) 378-5872; www.Green SolutionsKC.com. American Janitorial LLC - Insured/family owned for over 20 years. Specializing in office buildings with 10,000 to 30.000 square feet of cleaning space. Call John at (913) 575-2686. American Girl doll Communion dresses - First Communion dress sets for 18” or American Girl dolls. Includes dress, veil, shoes, tights and cross necklace. Full line of doll clothes and accessories in south Johnson County. Call Patty at (913) 345-9498. Tree service - Certified arborist Chris Johnson at Tufts Tree Service performs all tree services, including restoration, pruning, training, removal and stump grinding. Fully licensed and insured. Call (785) 218-1531. Complete plumbing and bath - Master plumber; toilets, faucets, sump pumps, repairs and new installation. Bath remodeling, tile work and painting. Member of Ascension Parish. Call Mike at (913) 488-4930. Machine quilting - by Jenell Noeth, Basehor. Also quilts made to order. Call (913) 724-1837. Summer tutor/nanny - Archdiocesan elementary teacher available for summer tutor or nanny opportunities. References available upon request. If your family needs help this summer, call or text Lisa @ (913) 461-7481, or send an email to: lmsull09@gmail.com. Housecleaning - A range of services provided from housekeeping to organizing closets, rooms and garages, as well as hoarder projects. 15 years of experience. Professional, energetic and dependable. Call Joni at (913) 206-4403. Garage door and opener sales and service - 24-hour, 7-day-a-week service on all types of doors. Replace broken spring rollers, gate openers, entry and patio doors and more. Over 32 years of experience. Call (913) 227-4902.
HOME IMPROVEMENT Custom countertops - Laminates installed within 5 days. Cambria, granite, and solid surface. Competitive prices, dependable work. Call the Top Shop, Inc., (913) 962-5058. Members of St. Joseph, Shawnee. Swalms Organizing - Downsizing - Clean Out Service – Reduce clutter – Any space organized. Shelving built onsite. Items hauled for recycling and donations. 20 years exp.; insured. Call Tillar at (913) 375-9115. WWW.SWALMS ORGANIZING.COM. Thank you for another great year - Through your support, my family has been blessed and my business has grown. We do windows, trim, siding, doors, decks, interior and exterior painting, wood rot, bathroom renovation, tile and sheetrock. If you need work done around your home, we can do it. Thank you for your continued support. Call Josh at (913) 709-7230. EL SOL Y LA TIERRA *Commercial & residential * Lawn renovation *Mowing * Clean-up and hauling * Dirt grading/installation * Landscape design * Free estimates Hablamos y escribimos Ingles!! www.elsolylatierra.com Call Lupe at (816) 252-1391 Local handyman and lawn care – Water heaters, garbage disposals, toilets, faucets, painting, power washing, doors, storm doors, gutter cleaning, wood rot, mowing, carpet, roofing, etc. Member of Holy Angels Parish, Basehor. Call Billy at (913) 927-4118. Masonry work - Quality new or repair work. Brick, block and chimney/fireplace repair. Insured; second-generation bricklayer. Member of St. Paul Parish, Olathe. Call (913) 829-4336. Kansas City’s Premier Deck, Fence & Concrete - We repair, power wash and stain wood decks and fences. We power wash and seal concrete drives, walkways, pool decks and more. Call Brian at (913) 952-5965; Holy Trinity parishioner. STA (Sure Thing Always) Home Repair - Basement finish, bathrooms and kitchens; interior & exterior repairs: painting, roofing, siding, wood replacement and window glazing. Free estimates. Call (913) 491-5837 or (913) 579-1835. Email: smokey cabin@hotmail.com. Member of Holy Trinity, Lenexa. HARCO Exteriors LLC Your Kansas City fencing specialists Family owned and operated (913) 815-4817 www.harcoexteriorsllc.com Concrete construction - Tear out and replace stamped, stained or colored patios and drives. Retaining walls, footings, poured-in-place safe rooms, excavation and hauling. Asphalt drives and lots. Fully insured; references. Call Dan at (913) 207-4371 or send an email to: dandeeconst@aol.com. House painting Interior and exterior; wallpaper removal. Power washing, fences, decks. 30 years experience. References. Reasonable rates. Call Joe at (913) 620-5776. Rusty Dandy Painting, Inc. - We have been coloring your world for 40 years. Your home will be treated as if it were our own. Old cabinets will be made to look like new. Dingy walls and ceilings will be made beautiful. Woodwork will glow. Lead-certified and insured. Call (913) 341-9125.
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Detail construction and remodeling - We offer a full line of home remodeling services. Don’t move — remodel! Johnson County area. Call for a free quote at (913) 709-8401. DRC Construction We’ll get the job done right the first time. Windows - Doors - Decks – Siding Repair or replace, we will work with you to solve your problems. Choose us for any window, door, siding or deck project and you’ll be glad you did. Everything is guaranteed 100% (913) 461-4052 www.windowservicesoverlandpark.com drcconswindows@gmail.com The Drywall Doctor, Inc. - A unique solution to your drywall problems! We fix all types of ceiling and wall damage — from water stains and stress cracks to texture repairs and skim coating. We provide professional, timely repairs and leave the job site clean! Lead-certified and insured! Serving the metro since 1997. Call (913) 768-6655. NELSON CREATIONS L.L.C. Home remodeling, design/build, kitchens, baths, all interior and exterior work. Family owned and operated; over 25 years experience. Licensed and insured; commercial and residential. Kirk and Diane Nelson. (913) 927-5240; nelsport@everestkc.net
CAREGIVING Personalized care - Experienced, specializing in dementia, medication setup and activities of daily living. Excellent references. Contact Andrea at (913)548-1930. Caregiving - We provide personal assistance, companionship, care management, and transportation for seniors in their home, assisted living or nursing facilities. We also provide respite care for main caregivers needing some personal time. Call Daughters & Company at (913) 341-2500 and speak with Laurie, Pat or Gary. Team of girls - For around-the-clock care or available for one-on-one care with the same caregiver for morning, noon or night help. We care for your loved one just like family. Excellent references. Call Kara at (913) 909-6659. Looking for high quality home care? - Whether you’re looking to introduce care for your family or simply looking to improve your current home care quality, we can help. Our unique approach to home care has earned us a 99% client satisfaction rating among the 1,000-plus families we have assisted. We are family-owned, with offices in Lenexa and Lawrence. Call Benefits of Home - Senior Care, Lenexa: (913) 422-1591 or Lawrence: (785) 727-1816 or www.benefitsofhome.com.
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) 327-5557. For sale - At Resurrection Cemetery, two easements in mausoleum. Contact A. Kelly at (913) 649-9691.
REAL ESTATE House for sale - Solid, well-built, true ranch style home. Large corner lot in Eudora. 3 BR, 1.5 bath, attached two-car garage, unfinished basement, garden spot and mature trees. Two minutes from Hwy 10, 4 minutes from Holy Family Church. 7 miles from I-70, 15 minutes to Lawrence or Lenexa. Asking $150,000. As is. No owner financing. Not for rent. For more information, call (785) 841-6126.
WANTED TO BUY Wanted to buy - Antique/vintage jewelry, lighters, fountain pens, post card collections, paintings/prints, pottery, sterling, china dinnerware. Renee Maderak, (913) 631-7179. St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee 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 - I’m Mark Edmondson, a local parishioner at Holy Trinity, and I buy and sell houses in any condition. If you have a house “situation,” call me. I might have a solution for you. (913) 980-4905.
VACATION Colorado vacation - Granby, Winter Park, 2 BR, kitchen, sleeps six. Pet OK. www.inn@silvercreek.com. June 25 - July 2. July 2 - July 9. $600 per week. Call (913) 649-7596. Branson getaway - Walk-in condo on Pointe Royale Golf Course. Sleeps six. Close to lakes and entertainment. Fully furnished. Pool and hot tub available. No cleaning fee. Nightly rates. Wi-Fi available. Discounts available. Call (913) 5153044.
ROOMMATE Roommate wanted - Female seeking female roommate in Overland Park. $400 per month plus on-third of the utilities. Furnished three-bedroom home. Six minutes from Oak Park Mall. No pets. Call (913) 599-5574.
APRIL 8, 2016 | THELEAVEN.ORG
CALENDAR SPORTS CAMPS REGISTRATION St. James Academy 24505 Prairie Star Pkwy., Lenexa April 9 - June 1
as well as an opportunity for attendees to enroll in the brown scapular. For more information, visit the website at: www.rosaryrallieskc.org.
St. James Academy youth and high school summer sports camps are now open for registration. For a listing of all camps and registration information, visit the website at: sfakeepingfaith.org/summer-camps.
‘COPING WITH LIFE ALONE’ Mother Teresa of Calcutta Church 2014 N.W. 46th St., Topeka April 12 from 7 - 9 p.m.
This is a Beginning Experience grief support program that meets each week for seven weeks. The program helps those who have lost a love relationship due to death, divorce or separation move through the experience of grief and loss into a future with renewed hope. For more information, call Angie at (785) 220-7773 or Jerry Jennings at (785) 766-6497.
BINGO AND LUNCH WITH THE ‘KEENAGERS’ St. Joseph Parish (Knights Hall) 11221 Johnson Dr., Shawnee Second Thursday each month at 11:30 a.m.
KANSAS CITY CATHOLIC WOMEN’S CONFERENCE Church of the Ascension 9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park April 9 from 7:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Seniors are welcome. Enjoy lunch, bingo and friends. For more information, call Mary Ann Jackman at (913) 268-0561.
Join women throughout the Kansas City area for the “Living in Truth” Kansas City Catholic women’s conference. Mass will be celebrated by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, followed by Catholic speakers Danielle Bean and Kelly Wahlquist. To register, go to the website at: www.livingintruthkc.com.
TACO DINNER AND BINGO St. Patrick Church 1086 N. 94th St., Kansas City, Kansas April 9 from 5 - 9 p.m.
BINGO Immaculate Conception Church (hall) 606 S. Elm, Louisburg Second and fourth Thursdays at 7 p.m.
Bingo is sponsored by the Knights of Columbus. The doors open at 6 p.m. Food will also be available.
We will pray the joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries of the rosary. Benediction will follow,
‘HILDEGARDE OF BINGEN’ Sophia Center 751 S. 8th St., Atchison April 13 from 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Pilgrimage to Scotland and England
J
September 12 – 21, 2016
oin Father Ernie Davis and Our Lady of Hope Catholic Church seeking saints and martyrs, great and small. Visit shrines, great cathedrals and castles from Edinburgh and Lindisfarne Island to the great city of London. Daily Mass. $4186 from KCMO. For a brochure email office.olohopekc@gmail.com or call Fr. Ernie Davis 816-729-6776.
K E A T I N G Mud Jacking FOUNDATION REPAIR Cracked • Bowed • Settled Wall Repair v Wall Bracing v Waterproofing v Steel Underpinning Kansas City (913) 262-9352
CAR, TRUCK AND CYCLE SHOW Our Lady of Unity (Sacred Heart Campus) 2646 S. 34th St., Kansas City, Kansas April 16 from 8 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Each car, truck and cycle entry is $15 until April 11 and $20 after. There is a T-shirt and goody bag for 100 entries; dash plaques for 150 entries. There will be food booths and vendors. Proceeds will benefit Our Lady of Unity School. Spectators are free.
ST. PAUL CHEFS’ CLASSIC KNOCKOUT St. James Academy 24505 Prairie Star Pkwy., Lenexa April 16 from 6 - 10 p.m.
This boxing-themed event allows ticket holders to sample hot and cold hors d’oeuvres from some of Kansas City’s leading chefs and vote for their favorite! To purchase tickets, visit the website at: www.knockoutbout.com.
ABBOT’S TABLE BANQUET Sheraton Crown Center 2345 McGee St., Kansas City, Missouri April 16 at 6:30 p.m.
The cost for dinner is $5 per person (to-go orders will be available) and includes: three tacos, rice and a drink. There will also be bingo and a raffle. For more information, call (913) 400-7421.
ROSARY RALLY IN HONOR OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA Our Lady of Perpetual Help 3333 Broadway, Kansas City, Missouri April 10 from 3 - 4:15 p.m.
Come and explore Hildegarde’s legacy for its relevance to our personal and communal journey today. This retreat will by conducted by Benedictine Sister Therese Elias. For more information or to register, call (913) 3606173 or visit the website at: www.sophia spiritualitycenter.com.
MUD JACKING Raise & Level
v Patios v Drives v Garage Floors v Slab Houses Lawrence (785) 865-0006
Topeka (785) 246-0128
The monks of St. Benedict’s Abbey in Atchison will present the Lumen Vitae award to Virgil and Ann Dechant and Daniel and Terri Carey. Mass is at 4:30 p.m., followed by a social. Dinner and program begin at 6:30 p.m. For tickets and information, visit the website at: kansasmonks.org/abbotstable.
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EASTER RETREAT: ‘MERCY, THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS AND YOU’ Holy Angels Parish 15440 Leavenworth Rd., Basehor April 17 - 20 from 6:30 - 8 p.m.
An Ignatian spirituality retreat will be given by Jesuit retreat master Father Joseph Carola. Enrich your Catholic spirituality and deepen your love for the Sacred Heart of Jesus during this retreat. There will also be opportunities for daily spiritual direction April 18 - 20. For more information, call (913) 724-1665.
PRAIRIE STAR RANCH FAMILY DAY Prairie Star Ranch 1124 California Rd., Williamsburg April 17 from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Spend the day with your family exploring the 300 acres of woods, prairie land and waterfront of Prairie Star Ranch. Tackle the climbing tower, leap from the power pole, ride the horses or fish in the lake. For details and registration information, visit the website at: www. archkck.org/ranch or call (785) 746-5693.
LADIES OF CHARITY DESIGNERS’ SHOWHOUSE SPECIAL EVENT 444 Westover Rd., Kansas City, Missouri April 25 from 10:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
The Ladies of Charity of Metropolitan Kansas City will host a private showing of this year’s designers’ showhouse. There will be a tour, a boxed lunch, a raffle and a boutique shop. The cost is $30 and helps to support the Duchesne Clinic, Seton Center and Villa St. Francis. To register, mail a check before April 15 to: Jean Asbury, 516 W. 119th Terr., Kansas City, MO 64145. For more information, call Marnie Robinett at (913) 451-2484.
‘LIFESHIFT: WORK & THE CHRISTIAN JOURNEY’ The Sophia Center 751 S. 8th St., Atchison April 22 - 24
This retreat is geared to help people define and secure new, meaningful work opportunities while exploring their Christian spirituality. For more information, visit the website at: www.centerforlifetransition.net and click on LifeSHIFT.
APRIL 8, 2016 | THELEAVEN.ORG
COMMENTARY THIRD WEEK OF EASTER April 10 THIRD SUNDAY OF EASTER Acts 5: 27-32, 40b-41 Ps 30: 2, 4-6, 11-13 Rv 5: 11-14 Jn 21: 1-19 April 11 Stanislaus, bishop, martyr Acts 6: 8-15 Ps 119: 23-24, 26-27, 29-30 Jn 6: 22-29 April 12 Tuesday Acts 7:51 – 8:1a Ps 31: 3cd-4, 6, 7b, 8a, 17, 21ab Jn 6: 30-35 April 13 Martin I, pope, martyr Acts 8: 1b-8 Ps 66: 1-3a, 4-7a Jn 6: 35-40 April 14 Thursday Acts 8: 26-40 Ps 66: 8-9, 16-17, 20 Jn 6: 44-51 April 15 Friday Acts 9: 1-20 Ps 117: 1bc, 2 Jn 6: 52-59 April 16 Saturday Acts 9: 31-42 Ps 116: 12-17 Jn 6: 60-69
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Big impact comes from the smallest items
C
an you guess what common item was issued a patent on April 10,
1849? I’ll give you a few hints. It can be used to fix a drawstring, stop static cling on a skirt, clean a saltshaker, hold curtains shut, remedy a wardrobe malfunction and keep pairs of socks or gloves together. Still stumped? OK, here’s the giveaway clue: Before disposables, this item was used to hold diapers in place on babies. If you answered “a safety pin,” you get a gold star. Isn’t it amazing how the smallest items often have the biggest impact? Here’s another example: Several years ago, an expensive laboratory jet was approaching Edwards Air Force Base in southern California. When the pilot tried to lower the nose gear, it didn’t respond. The copilot traced the issue to a faulty relay panel. Recognizing the problem, he hunted around for something to bypass the relay and activate the nose gear. Eventually, he found a paper clip and bent it so that it bypassed the problem and triggered the nose gear. It worked perfectly, saving the jet
MARK MY WORDS
FATHER MARK GOLDASICH Father Mark is the pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Tonganoxie. He has been editor of The Leaven since 1989.
from a crash landing. At that moment, for that special job, the lowly paper clip was more important than all the rest of the sophisticated equipment on the plane. (Found in Brian Cavanaugh’s “The Sower’s Seeds.”) Yes, sometimes the most ordinary items can have the greatest impact. This past weekend, our religious education directors announced a new initiative for the parish that will not help our students, but will benefit those living in poverty in some 26 developing nations. And the best thing about this fundraiser is that there’s
no baking, volunteering, buying or selling involved. It centers on something used every day, but most likely taken for granted: shoes. Now, through the end of June, my parish will be collecting shoes to be sent around the world. Shoes are so much a part of our lives that we even have an expression in English: “as common as an old shoe.” According to the “Dictionary of American Idioms,” the phrase means, “not showing off; not vain; modest; friendly to all.” Those are wonderful ways to look at our shoe initiative. And I’m certain that the directors’ announcement hit home. After Saturday evening Mass, I noticed Mary Beth, one of my parishioners, heading — barefoot — out of the building. When she saw my surprise, Mary Beth pointed to a tub outside of the religious education
office. Inside were her shoes, the first pair to be donated. Seeing my amused expression, she said, “Hey, Father, I’ve always hated those shoes! I’m glad to get rid of them for a good cause!” I told Mary Beth’s story at the Sunday Masses and already more shoes have started to appear in that tub to keep hers company. Heck, she even inspired me to finally part with six pairs of old shoes — some coated with dust — that I’d been hanging onto for no reason. Jesus certainly understood how simple items could have a big impact. That’s why so many of his parables and teachings center around things like seeds and farmers, cups of water, vines and branches, lamps, yeast, salt, sheep and shepherds, riches, and, of course, bread and wine. This Easter season is a time for Christians to spread hope and joy. Common acts of love and service can have an uncommon effect on the recipients. Look for creative ways to touch the lives of others: donate used books to the library; give a cold drink to your mail carrier; bring your co-workers a treat; plant a tree or flowers; use less plastic; write an encour-
aging note to someone; compliment waitresses, waiters or cashiers; or start a piggy bank for a charitable cause. And don’t forget about those shoes! My parish will happily take your donations. Our street address is 1100 West St., and our mailing address is P.O. Box 539, Tonganoxie, KS 66086. If you have questions, you can send an email to Nancy at: cfoure@msn.com or Jennifer at: mrseastesfhsu@ gmail.com. But we’re not the only ones interested in your shoes. A story in the Feb. 26 issue of The Leaven featured Jerry Hudgins, a parishioner of Sacred Heart-St. Joseph Church in Topeka. Like my parish, he, too, is collecting shoes. Unlike us, however, his donations will be distributed locally around Topeka. I’m sure he’d be happy to take donations as well. His online contact information is: www. solereason.net. You can also reach him by phone at (785) 338-2965 or by email at: sole_reason@ yahoo.com. Again, if you’ve got some new or gently used footwear that you’re not using — or you just hate — just “shoet” it to Jerry or my parish and help us to “defeet” poverty, one “sole” at a time.
Instructions to Peter foreshadows how he will die
W
hen disaster strikes, people have to find someone to blame. In the year A.D. 64, a fire broke out that ravaged much of the city of Rome. Rumors spread that the Emperor Nero had deliberately set the fire in order to clear out land on which to build a mansion. (In fact, Nero did build a mansion on the Palatine hill, which gives us the word “palace.”) To avoid blame, Nero turned to the Christians to find a scapegoat. He accused the Christians of arson and had many of them condemned to death. The Roman historian Tacitus described the scene: “Covered with the skins of beasts, they
POPE FRANCIS
THE GOSPEL TRUTH
FATHER MIKE STUBBS Father Stubbs is the pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Overland Park and has a degree in Scripture from Harvard University.
were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as
The power of God’s forgiveness “is greater than our sins,” Pope Francis said. Christians have “the certainty that he will never abandon us,” the pope said at his weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square March 30. “If you fall into sin, stand up! When a child falls, what does he do? He raises his hand to his mother or father to help him up,” the pope
a nightly illumination when daylight had expired” (Annals, XV, 44). According to tradition, St. Peter died during this persecution by being crucified upside down. Sunday’s Gospel reading, Jn 21:119, indirectly confirms this account of Peter’s death. At the end of a dialogue between Jesus and Peter, Jesus tells
him: “When you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” By these words, Jesus is predicting how Peter will die: “He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God.” A person condemned to death by crucifixion had to carry the crossbeam on his shoulders to the place of execution. That is why Peter has to stretch out his hands, so that his arms can be fastened to the crossbeam. Next, the robes of the condemned person have to be hitched up, so that the person does not trip while walking. That is why the prediction says: “Someone else will dress you and lead you
said. “Raise your hand and God will help you; this is the dignity of God’s forgiveness.” With tens of thousands of people gathered in St. Peter’s Square, the pope reflected on Psalm 51, King David’s hymn of repentance after committing adultery with Bathsheba and murdering her husband, Uriah the Hittite. The psalm often is called the “Miserere” from the Latin opening of David’s plea: “Have mercy on me, O God.”
where you do not want to go.” The prediction of Peter’s death comes at the end of Jesus’ conversation with Peter, during which Jesus has instructed Peter to tend Jesus’ sheep and feed them. Those are the duties of a shepherd. Jesus, the good shepherd, is calling upon Peter to assume the role of a shepherd, a pastor, for the flock that is the church. The prediction of Peter’s death naturally follows that instruction. It echoes an earlier utterance in John’s Gospel: “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (10:11). Like Jesus, Peter will also lay down his life for the sheep, in a manner very similar to that of Jesus.
Those who pray the psalm, Pope Francis said, are called to be like David who, despite the gravity of his sins, was genuinely repentant and confident in God’s mercy. “In this prayer, humankind’s true need is manifested: The only thing we really need in our lives is to be forgiven, freed from evil and its deadly consequences,” the pope said. — CNS
APRIL 8, 2016 | THELEAVEN.ORG
COMMENTARY
15
Help CEF families try ‘just one more time’ for a Catholic education
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hope this writing finds each of you well following the Sunday of Divine Mercy. With this article I will attempt to mix a little educational humor with some heartfelt family situations and a mercy thought. Let’s start with some educational “winteris-almost-behind-us” humor. The following is a story to which anyone who has ever taken care of small children can relate: One day, a kindergarten teacher was helping a student who was struggling to put on his winter boots. The teacher was pulling and the boy was pushing, but
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the boots still wouldn’t go on. Finally, when they got both boots on and the teacher was nearly out of breath, the little boy said, “Teacher, they’re on the wrong feet.” She looked down and, sure enough, they were. The teacher managed to keep her cool as they worked together to get the boots back on the right feet. Then the boy announced, “These aren’t my boots.” In disbelief, the teacher bit her tongue and pulled the boots off just in time for the boy to say, “They’re my brother’s boots. My mom made me wear them.” The teacher didn’t
CEF CENTERED
MICHAEL MORRISEY Michael Morrisey is the executive director of the Catholic Education Foundation. You can reach him at (913) 647-0383 or send an email to him at: mmorrisey@archkck.org.
know if she should laugh or cry. She mustered
up the grace to wrestle the boots onto his feet again and then she asked, “Now, where are your gloves?” The boy replied, “I stuffed them in the toes of my boots.” As Thomas Edison once said, and this story reflects, “One of our greatest weaknesses
lies in giving up. The most certain way for anyone to succeed is always trying just one more time.” We have approximately five weeks left in this school year. As the semester comes to a close, some of our CEF families are struggling to make their year-end tuition payments. Some of the reasons are as follows: Dad lost his job, a single mom lost her job, their work hours were reduced, the family had to pay for a parent’s funeral expenses, their house burned down, money is needed to put food on the table, the family had additional expenses because of a child’s medical emer-
gency, and so on. For many CEF families, financial challenges are ongoing and, as a result, paying for a Catholic education is nearly impossible. However, they don’t give up. They are resolute in finding a way. They work with the principal and pastor to figure it out. In addition, without the CEF’s help, they wouldn’t have a prayer (no pun intended). During this Year of Mercy, I encourage you to consider helping a CEF child currently living in poverty. There is no better time than the present. YOU can be the springboard for them trying just one more time!
What if Jesus really meant our neighbor neighbor?
don’t know my neighbors. I have lived in the rectory at Holy Name Parish for almost two years and I’ve never met or talked to my immediate neighbors. I have never knocked on my own neighbors’ doors to say, “Hi, I’m your neighbor. What’s your name?” I’m also not alone. It wasn’t always this way. I remember a time when I knew everyone who lived around me. We would even get together and hang out — which was easy to do since our family had a He-Man swing set with an amazing Battle Cat you could ride.
We even had block parties and were the keepers of each other’s spare keys. Over the years, though, after many moves and many excuses, getting to know my neighbors has become less and less of a priority. John Leyendecker, a School of Faith instructor, shared with me that his family came to the same awareness before they moved from Colorado to Kansas. He and his wife dared to ask, “What if when Jesus said to love your neighbor, he meant your neighbor neighbor?” Putting away all of the excuses, their family made a real effort in the last few months of
CALLED TO DISCIPLESHIP
FATHER ANDREW STROBL Father Andrew Strobl is the archdiocesan director of evangelization.
living in their neighborhood to get to know
their neighbors. When they moved out, they had people — who had been strangers not long before — crying as their family drove away. This past Lent, our parish did a number of discussion sessions on Matthew Kelly’s book,
“Rediscover Jesus.” During one of the sessions, I brought up my concern about the seemingly common phenomenon where our neighbors are also strangers. A couple weeks after that session, I got an email from a member of our group. She said that the discussion about neighbors got her to act. She put away all the excuses and knocked on a woman’s door that she had lived next to for nine years without formally meeting. With a food dish in hand to share, she knocked on the door and introduced herself. She told me that her greatest fear was being asked, “You have lived
next door for nine years. Why all of a sudden you now pay me a visit?” Her fears were put at ease as they had a very pleasant exchange. When she discovered that her neighbor was Catholic, she invited her to the upcoming Stations of the Cross that Friday at Holy Name. To her surprise, her neighbor was already going because she was a member of Holy Name! They talked about their faith and are now going to meet to dive deeper into sacred Scripture together. I pray I can have that same boldness in reaching out and meeting my neighbor neighbors.
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APRIL 8, 2016 | THELEAVEN.ORG
LOCAL NEWS
16
Swinging for the bleachers makes for major league fun By Todd Habiger todd.habiger@thleaven.org
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ANSAS CITY, Kan. — Father Andrew Strobl lives in a fantasy world. In this world he is master and overseer of all things . . . baseball? Now don’t go questioning Father Strobl’s sanity. He’s very sane, but very much into fantasy baseball. For those unfamiliar with the game, fantasy baseball gained popularity in the 1980s after a group of friends met at La Rotisserie Fr a n ç a i s e restaurant in New York and hashed out the general rules and scoring system. Fantasy baseball owners draft real Major League baseball players and compile their statistics. The team with the most points at the end of the baseball season wins. “Fantasy baseball is a unique way to appreciate the baseball season because it’s 162 games long,” said Father Strobl. “It can really be a rich experience.” Father Strobl has been playing fantasy baseball for more than 15 years. It started with a group of high school friends. “We all loved baseball,” said Father Strobl. “We started when the Royals were really bad, so this gave us a reason to follow the game beyond what the Royals box score was.” Father Strobl’s league has changed over the years from something local to something more national, with new owners coming from all over the country. “It’s nice to have a mix of people from around the country,” he said. Father Strobl said his league is like a small, close-knit community. They talk baseball, but also about each others’ families and lives. “The guys in my league know I’m a priest, although the majority of them are not Catholic,” he said. “It’s cool because the guys will clean up their language or compliment something about the church or Pope Francis.” Father Strobl said that playing fantasy baseball has increased his knowl-
Father Andrew Strobl kicked off his fantasy baseball season by selecting Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado. Father Strobl has been a hardcore fantasy baseball player for more than 15 years. edge of players from all over the country, not just Kansas City. It’s also given him a greater appreciation for the game of baseball itself. “It’s given me a deeper motivation to learn the game and appreciate it,” he said. “Baseball is so intricate and there are so many situations and conditions that affect the game. “In fantasy baseball, you are trying to predict, but there is no way you can predict every circumstance that a player is going to go through in 162 games.” Father Strobl also likes the fact that he learns so much more about the players by playing fantasy baseball. He cites the case of Ryan Madson, who pitched for the Royals last year. Madson was a former closer for the Philadelphia Phillies who saved 32
games back in 2011. The following year he had Tommy John elbow surgery and didn’t pitch in the majors again until last year for the Royals. “If I hadn’t played fantasy baseball, I wouldn’t have appreciated his story,” said Father Strobl. “I would have just heard we picked up another pitcher.” As for this season, Father Strobl and his team — the Roman Collars — are geared up for the long haul. “Fantasy baseball is a commitment,” he said. “Drafting is a lot of fun, but you’ve got to stay on top of things or you can lose ground fast. It’s a community that you’re doing this with. You kind of have the responsibility to stay involved.” In his recent draft, he picked seventh overall and grabbed Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado,
who has shortstop eligibility in Father Strobl’s league. He then turned around and surprised the other members in his league by nabbing Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris Bryant in the second round. By taking two of the top third basemen, Father Strobl thinned out an already thin position and left the other “owners” scrambling to fill third base with less-talented options. His pitching staff is anchored by David Price of Boston and Cole Hammels of Texas. “Overall, I’m excited,” said Father Strobl. “I’ve got a good balance of strong starting pitching and an awesome infield that I’m excited about. I think I’m going to do really well.” As of press time, Father Strobl was sitting in third place. But a long season is ahead of him.
Each of us is tasked with building the kingdom, says speaker >> Continued from page 1 to the story of our salvation,” he said, “we treat it just as any other subject.” Father Strobl went on to emphasize how much the story of our salvation matters, and how it’s up to all of us to play our part. “The fact that they said we all have our own unique role in the church stood out to me,” said Calvert. “Some may feel as if they do not have a place, but they emphasized that God gives you one through the church.” Katie Walters, a theology teacher at St. James Academy in Lenexa, was happy her students were able to attend the presentation. “God has been at work throughout all of history and he wants to continue his work in each of us,” she said. “For young people to hear this message, I think is empowering and inspiring.” The speakers also warned their
young audiences how living a Christian life isn’t always easy. “Any Christian that tells you that there’s not going to be a lot of pain in being alive is telling a story,” said Deacon Nearmyer. “It’s not true.” “But being Christian gives meaning and purpose to our suffering,” he added. “It also gives us ways to replenish our hearts, to build ourselves up, to be able to walk through the world — not with a half-empty tank or driving on empty all the time.” That point resonated in a particular way with Calvert. “When we are involved in our faith and actively follow Jesus, we give meaning and purpose to our suffering and hardships,” she said. Deacon Nearmyer explained that it is our brokenness that we bring to the altar during Mass, and that we don’t need to be perfect for God to accept us. “God loves you in all your brokenness, in all your drama,” he said. “God
loves you at this moment. And then he just wants to be with you.” Once we accept that unconditional love, said Father Strobl, the next step is becoming the best people we can be and spreading the love and hope we have in God to others. Walters is excited to see how her students respond to that call. “For our young people to embrace the love of Christ is to then live a life spreading that love of Christ to those who are hurting,” she said. “Christ was indifferent to no one,” she continued. “When he encountered someone struggling, he always did something to lift their burden. As disciples of Christ, we are called to walk in those same steps of compassion and service.” “If we are willing to accept that this is our story, watch out,” said Father Strobl. “The rest of the archdiocese will be set on fire with love of God.”
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“GOD HAS BEEN AT WORK THROUGHOUT ALL OF HISTORY, AND HE WANTS TO CONTINUE HIS WORK IN EACH OF US. FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO HEAR THIS MESSAGE, I THINK IS EMPOWERING AND INSPIRING.” Katie Walters, theology teacher at St. James Academy, Lenexa