THELEAVEN.ORG | VOL. 39, NO. 39 | MAY 25, 2018
PHOTO BY CRAIG JOHRING
Father Agustin Martinez, associate pastor at Prince of Peace Parish in Olathe, celebrates Mass at a chapel in a dump in Mexico City. More than 1,000 people work and live in the dump.
A PILGRIMAGE TO THE PERIPHERY By Olivia Martin olivia.martin@theleaven.org
O
VERLAND PARK — Imagine traveling hundreds of miles to spend a hot and sunny weekend in Mexico City — in a women’s shelter and a city dump. While not a typical weekend getaway, that’s exactly what a group of seven doctors and their families did in Mexico City during a weekend mission trip May 10-13.
Where it all began An earlier pilgrimage to Mexico City with the adult catechetical program School of Faith was what first interested Randy Brown of Queen of the Holy Rosary in Wea in a collaboration with Hope of the Poor missionary Craig Johring, who lives and works with street children in Mexico City. As president of the Kansas City Guild of the Catholic Medical Association, Brown is part of a tightly woven
community of Catholic medical professionals in the area. “We have a group of doctors who are pretty strong friends,” said Brown. “[We] have developed relationships over the past four years through the program called First Saturdays.” First Saturdays is a fraternal spiritual program for physicians and their families through CMA. It was through this fellowship that Brown invited the doctors and their families to go on mission in Mexico City.
Hope in the dump The mission began with a brief pilgrimage to the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. “Seeing the tilma was amazing and impactful,” said Gerry Malnar, a parishioner of the Church of the Ascension in Overland Park, who was accompanied on the mission by his wife Terry and two sons. “Mary is our most confident intercessor, “ he said. “She should always be >> See “I’M” on page 6
PHOTO BY CRAIG JOHRING
Evan Brown, who joined his family on a weekend mission in Mexico City May 10-13, talks with kids from Mexico City who live in a dump. The group also visited a homeless women’s shelter.
MAY 25, 2018 | THELEAVEN.ORG
LOCAL NEWS
Editor’s note: The following is Archbishop Naumann’s address at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., on May 24.
Archbishop calls for a second ‘great awakening’
I
t is a great honor to be with your this morning and to address this distinguished gathering. As we assemble as a people of faith to pray for our nation, we must first give thanks for our many blessings. We enjoy religious liberty, freedom of speech and expression, the right to assemble — to name only a few of the freedoms for which our founders fought and subsequent generations sacrificed heroically to preserve. Despite our economic challenges, middle class Americans enjoy creature comforts that were unavailable to kings of earlier ages. For all this and so much more, we must give thanks to God, from whom all blessings flow. At the same time, there are certainly many challenges facing our nation. Within the past week, we had another deadly school shooting. There are several tense international situations — e.g. the Holy Land, Iran, Syria and Korea. Many Christians throughout the world experience brutal religious persecution. Racial tensions remain high in many cities. One third of American children are being raised in homes without their biological fathers. The legal status of more than a million young people who were brought to this country as children remains in limbo. In Massachusetts, Illinois and the District of Columbia, Catholic Charities is no longer able to place children for adoption. Our nation continues to give legal protection to doctors and organizations that profit from the killing of more than one million innocent unborn children. There are efforts in the courts and some state legislatures to coerce Catholic hospitals to perform abortions. Unfortunately, this is by no means an exhaustive list of the serious threats to the well-being of our nation. However, the most serious crisis for our country is none of the above, but, rather, a God-crisis — a crisis of faith.
Is God dead? “Is God Dead?” This was the title cover story for the April 8, 1966, edition of Time magazine, when I was a junior in high school and Time was the most influential
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LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS ARCHBISHOP JOSEPH F. NAUMANN periodical in the United States. The 1966 article began with these words: “Is God dead? It is a question that tantalizes both believers, who perhaps secretly fear that he is, and atheists, who possibly suspect the answer is ‘no.’ “Is God dead? The three words represent a summons to reflect on the meaning of existence. No longer is the question the taunting jest of skeptics for whom unbelief is the test of wisdom and for whom Nietzsche is the prophet who gave the right answer a century ago.” At the time, the subject was considered shocking and provocative. I was reminded of this article while reading “The Benedict Option,” by Rod Dreher, who makes the case that we need a new St. Benedict to form vibrant Christian communities to preserve the truth of the Gospels during a new Dark Age of unbelief. Dreher notes the decline in church attendance, the large number of millennials who profess atheism or, even more commonly, identify themselves as spiritual, but not religious. This nonreligious spiritualism is a new paganism, where God is not the God of revelation who makes himself known to us, but a god or gods that are fashioned in our own image to reinforce our own desires. Dreher gives his assessment of the status of faith in America: “God may not be quite dead, but he is in hospice care and confined to bed.”
A crisis of faith Our culture is, indeed, experiencing a crisis of faith that leads to a denial of truth. Once the relationship between man and God is severed, man becomes just a highly developed organism. Human life becomes just another thing in a world of things. Materialism reigns and breeds
Archbishops’ calendars Because of the length of this column, the calendars for Archbishop Naumann and Archbishop Keleher can be found on page 7 this week.
utilitarianism — our value is determined by our usefulness. We no longer possess inalienable rights that are God-given and from which no human being can deprive us. The pursuit of pleasure becomes the highest goal. This hedonism is a futile seeking of greater and more intense pleasures that, in the end, leave us more and more empty. Suffering and death become the great enemies that we strive futilely to eliminate or at least impede. It is this loss of a sense of God that also leaves us vulnerable to losing sight of the innate value of each and every human being. We consider those who are profoundly disabled as more vegetable than human. We experience their care as a burden rather than an opportunity for the expression of the noblest form of love. We begin to see human life at its earliest stages as something too tiny to have rights, but something very useful to destroy in order to exploit its components in the hope of healing or restoring youth to those already born. This loss of a sense of God also leaves us helpless to find meaning in suffering. Suffering becomes the other real evil, and thus to be avoided at all costs. If it is impossible or perhaps difficult to eliminate the suffering, then it becomes acceptable to eliminate the one suffering.
The essence: An encounter with a person Pope Emeritus Benedict, in his writings and speeches reflecting on
the essence of what it means to be Catholic, declared it is not our dogma and doctrine. Obviously, it is not that he thought these to be unimportant. After all, he had been the prefect for the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith — he was the architect of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Yet, important as they are, they are not the essence of Catholicism. Similarly, Pope Benedict maintained that living an ethical life is not the heart of what it means to be Catholic. Again, he was not claiming this is insignificant, but it is the fruit of our faith, not its essence. Pope Benedict asserts the essence of Catholicism is an encounter with the person of Jesus Christ. Without that personal encounter, our dogma and doctrine make no sense. Without this encounter, we will not have the capacity to persevere in living a virtuous life.
Jesus, the man who lives Malcolm Muggeridge — the late BBC television personality — while an agnostic, filmed a documentary on Mother Teresa of Calcutta entitled “Something Beautiful for God.” Muggeridge made Mother Teresa a household name in the English-speaking world. Muggeridge’s experience of Mother Teresa’s selfless love changed the trajectory of his life. The BBC subsequently assigned Muggeridge to do a documentary on Jesus. In Bethlehem at the Church of the Nativity, while observing the prayerfulness of Christian pilgrims venerating the spot commemorated as the birthplace of Jesus, Muggeridge was inspired to name his documentary — “Jesus, The Man Who Lives.” Muggeridge realized Jesus was not just another historical figure, but he was still alive and animating the lives of his disciples like Mother Teresa and millions of other saints canonized and uncanonized for the past 2,000 years. It is this same Jesus we encounter every time we open our hearts to his presence in prayer. It is this Jesus, the Lord of Lords and King of Kings, who conquered death and is alive, whom we receive in the Eucharist. It is this Jesus who transformed Peter from the coward of Good Friday to the martyr in
Baptisms for children of larger families To show his personal support for those couples open to raising larger families, Archbishop Naumann has offered to celebrate the baptism of the third or greater child of any family interested. Please contact your parish office for more information. Additional information is also available from the archdiocesan office for liturgy and sacramental life at (913) 647-0330 or by email at: liturgy@archkck.org.
Rome; who changed Paul from a persecutor of his disciples to the greatest Christian missionary; who inspired Francis of Assisi to abandon a frivolous life of comfort and, through simplicity and poverty, to awaken the world to the Gospel. It is this same Jesus who motivated Thomas More to resign as chancellor of England and die a martyr’s death rather than betray his conscience; who emboldened the North American martyrs to make the perilous crossing of the Atlantic to evangelize Native Americans, well aware that they would meet violent deaths; who led St. Damien to provide pastoral care for the lepers of Molokai, knowing the probability that eventually he would succumb to the dreaded disease; and who gave Blessed Stanley Rother, a farm boy from Oklahoma, the courage to stay with his flock in Guatemala, despite being a target of the death squads. This is to name only a tiny fraction of some of the more well-known disciples who found abundant and eternal life in losing their lives following Jesus, the man who lives.
A God who died but is not dead The original sin was the decision by our first parents to push God out of their garden in order to become their own gods. This is the archetype of every sin. God’s response to humanity’s rebellion is mercy. God does not abandon us to dwell in the darkness created by our rejection of his love. Instead, God comes to rescue us just as he saved Israel from the slavery of Egypt. Sin masquerades as freedom but, in reality, enslaves us to disordered cravings. Jesus came to liberate us from the bondage of sin and to vanquish death, destroying its power to rob life of its meaning and render it absurd. The method of this rescue was not to use his almighty power to force us into submission to his will, but it was through his incarnation to become one with us in all things
but sin. Like a special operations soldier dropped behind enemy lines, Jesus entered fully into our humanity, enduring unspeakable suffering because of our sin. Jesus defeats humanity’s twin enemies, sin and death, by walking through death to eternal life. We believe in a God who died but is far from dead. The triumphant, risen Lord is still animating the lives of those who open their hearts to encounter his love. Thus for the Christian, we are never without hope. In recent years, I have been drawn to read the memoirs of former atheists who have become Catholic. Two of my favorites in this genre are Jennifer Fulwiler’s “Something Other Than God” and Sally Read’s “Night’s Bright Darkness.” Both of their conversions illustrate that if we just open a crack in our hearts, God’s amazing grace will come rushing in.
A new great awakening In our prayer this morning, let us pray for a religious revival in our nation, another great awakening. For those of us who have encountered the risen Jesus, we have a responsibility to bring his love and mercy to others, especially — as Pope Francis so often reminds us — to those on the peripheries. We are called to be missionary disciples, communicating the love of Jesus to others and bringing others to encounter the risen Lord. We have no permanent enemies, but only confused brothers and sisters who have yet to encounter the Lord of Life and to experience his unconditional love and amazing grace. We are called to renew our nation, not primarily by enacting laws, but by announcing the joy and hope of the Gospel of Jesus to individuals in desperate need of its good news. It is our task to reclaim our culture — one mind, one heart, one soul at a time.
MAY 25, 2018 | THELEAVEN.ORG
LOCAL NEWS
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A MINISTRY OF SERVICE Five men ordained transitional deacons
By Joe Bollig Leaven staff
L
ENEXA — The ordination of five men to the transitional diaconate — the largest class in perhaps more than a decade — took place at Holy Trinity Parish here on May 19. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann ordained Nicholas Ashmore, Kenn Clem, Colin Haganey, Joel Haug and Dan Weger. “The Holy Spirit is invoked by the archbishop, having the authority vested in him through his own ordination as a bishop, to bless and bestow upon the man being ordained the grace of holy orders,” said Father Scott Wallisch, archdiocesan director of vocations. “The first level of holy orders is the diaconate, “ he continued. “There are two types of deacons — those ordained to be permanently in the rank of deacon, and those ordained as deacons transitioning to also be priests.” Present for the ordination were several seminarians serving as acolytes, 17 permanent deacons, 41 priests, and Deacon Viet Nguyen — who will be ordained a priest on June 30. Father Bruce Ansems was master of ceremonies; Msgr. Gary Applegate assisted Archbishop Emeritus James P. Keleher. The vesting clergy were Father Greg Hammes, Father Richard Storey, Father Mark Madden, Father Alessandro Borraccio and Deacon Dana Nearmyer. Archbishop Naumann acknowledged the presence of seminary representatives and thanked archdiocesan clergy who played important roles in supporting the five men who were ordained. The archbishop also thanked friends and family who were present for their support. He especially thanked the parents of the five men. “Thank you for accepting your own vocational call to Christian marriage, and allowing your love to be the human instrument of God to be used in giving Nicholas, Kenn, Colin, Joel and Dan this morning,” he said. “It was because of your faith that they were able to receive the very life of Jesus Christ as infants.”
Nicholas Ashmore
Age: 25 Parish: St. Francis Xavier, Burlington Parents: Willard Ashmore and Katrina Gavala Seminary: Kenrick-Glennon, St. Louis Summer assignment: Most Pure Heart of Mary Parish, Topeka
LEAVEN PHOTO BY LORI WOOD HABIGER
From left, Dan Weger, Joel Haug, Colin Haganey, Kenn Clem and Nicholas Ashmore kneel before Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann during their ordination to the transitional diaconate at Holy Trinity Parish, Lenexa. After completion of their seminary formation and studies, they will be ordained to the priesthood on May 25, 2019, at Ascension Parish in Overland Park. It was within their homes that the five men developed the Christian virtues and where they came to know Jesus and his church, he continued. “The family is, for most priests, the first and most important seminary that they ever attend,” said the archbishop. “It is in the family that they first came not to know just about Jesus, but to encounter the living Jesus through developing a life of prayer.” The five men were called forward, as a group, to stand before the archbishop and promise to fulfill the ministry of deacon. Next, each man went forward individually to kneel before the archbishop and promise his obedience to him and his successors.
Kenn Clem
Age: 27 Parish: St. Patrick, Osage City Parents: Kyle and Audrey Clem Seminary: St. Mary of the Lake Mundelein, Chicago Summer assignment: Holy Trinity, Lenexa
President Most Rev. Joseph F. Naumann
Publication No. (ISSN0194-9799)
Editor Rev. Mark Goldasich, stl frmark.goldasich@theleaven.org
The men lay prostrate for the litany of supplication, and afterward stood and came forward individually for ordination by the laying on of hands. This was followed by the prayer of ordination. The deacons were vested near their families in the pews, and then each went to the archbishop to receive the Book of the Gospels. Archbishop Naumann admonished them to “believe what you read, teach what you believe and practice what you teach.” After this, the five deacons received the fraternal greeting of the other deacons present. They joined the other clerics at the altar for the Liturgy of the Eucharist. “A deacon is ordained to be of assis-
Colin Haganey
Age: 28 Parish: St. Patrick, Kansas City, Kansas Parents: Charles and Jennifer Haganey Seminary: Kenrick-Glennon, St. Louis Summer assignment: Annunciation, Frankfort
Joel Haug, AVI
tance to the archbishop in fulfilling his duties of ministering to all the people of the archdiocese,” said Father Wallisch. “They are ordained for service, meaning both service to the poor and forgotten, and service of the word and the Eucharist.” Deacons can proclaim the Gospel, preach, baptize and officiate at weddings and funerals without a Mass. Following their summer assignments, the men will return to their respective seminaries for further studies. After completion of their seminary formation and studies, they will be ordained to the priesthood on May 25, 2019, at Ascension Parish in Overland Park.
Age: 28 Parish: St. Benedict, Atchison Parents: James and Aleda Haug Seminary: Kenrick-Glennon, St. Louis Summer assignment: Nativity, Leawood
Managing Editor Anita McSorley anita.mcsorley@theleaven.org
Senior Reporter Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org
Reporter Olivia Martin olivia.martin@theleaven.org
Production Manager Todd Habiger todd.habiger@theleaven.org
Advertising Coordinator Beth Blankenship beth.blankenship@theleaven.org
Social Media Editor Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org
Dan Weger
Age: 27 Parish: Holy Trinity, Lenexa Parents: Matthew and Joann Weger Seminary: St. Mary of the Lake Mundelein, Chicago Summer assignment: St. Francis Xavier, Burlington
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.
MAY 25, 2018 | THELEAVEN.ORG
LOCAL NEWS
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‘I needed somebody to walk the journey with me’ By Marc and Julie Anderson mjanderson@theleaven.org
T
OPEKA — Help. Hope. Healing. Those are three gifts that Frances, a member of Mother Teresa of Calcutta Parish, said she received from her Stephen Minister. Founded in St. Louis by the Rev. Kenneth C. Haugk, the ministry is a lay-centered approach to caring and supporting members of a congregation. Using his seminary and psychological training, Rev. Haugk trained lay members of his congregation to listen to and walk alongside other members who were struggling. The ministry consists of Stephen Leaders, Stephen Ministers (also known as caregivers) and care receivers. Leaders coordinate the overall ministry and ministers provide care and support to parishioners known as care receivers. Stephen Ministry does not provide counseling nor is it designed to encourage people to return to the sacraments, although that sometimes happens. According to the parish’s leadership team, the ministry is simply about being present to others during times of struggle. Examples include loss of a loved one, hospitalization, divorce, unemployment or terminal illness. Since the first nine caregivers were commissioned in March 1975, more than 600,000 members of more than 13,000 Protestant and Catholic churches worldwide have been trained as Stephen Ministers. Mother Teresa of Calcutta Parish in Topeka became at least the third archdiocesan parish to launch a ministry last summer. When Frances contacted the parish office, she was grieving the loss of her mother and her husband. Although she sought counseling, Frances did not feel as if she was healing in a manner consistent with her Catholic faith. “I needed somebody of the same faith to give another perspective on the grieving process,” Frances said. “I needed somebody to walk the journey with me.” Looking at her phone late one evening, she realized she had a voicemail. She recalls thinking, “I don’t know who the person is.” Eventually, she found out it was her Stephen Minister, someone she now calls a godsend. Frances recalled how nice it was to have someone she could talk to, someone who provided her with Scripture passages, prayers and other ways she could offer up her suffering.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY MARC ANDERSON
(Clockwise from left) Larry Schwartz, Duane Kramer, Cheryl Nunley, Stephanie Blaker and Cathy Harrison, members of Mother Teresa of Calcutta Parish in Topeka, participate in a biweekly peer supervision meeting as part of the parish’s Stephen Ministry. The ministry was launched in July 2017 and has provided care to nearly a dozen parishioners. And little by little, Frances said she realized that, while she missed her mother and her husband, she didn’t need to talk about the losses as much. Over time, she and her caregiver started meeting less frequently. They now get together occasionally just to catch up on each other’s lives. An absolutely crucial component of the ministry, Frances said, is its confidentiality. She felt free to express her true emotions, feelings and thoughts without fearing they’d be repeated to anyone. That confidential care, she believes, is one of the reasons the ministry can be successful at extending the arms of the church. While priests are often the first on the scene in times of tragedy to administer sacraments, officiate at funerals or offer spiritual perspective, they are often unable to do the follow-up care they’d like to. “Our priests can’t be there for everybody,” Frances said. And that’s when Stephen Ministers can help. They can provide that follow-up care. Every Stephen Minister undergoes 50 hours of training in topics such as the art of listening, maintaining boundaries and ministering to those experiencing grief. As of this writing, the parish has 17 caregivers and has provided care to nearly a dozen parishioners. At first, some found the idea of being caregivers somewhat daunting. Ken Blaker, one of the caregivers, said, “When I was first told about it, I thought I was too broken myself to help
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anyone else.” As a former law enforcement officer and now an insurance investigator, Blaker has seen people in challenging situations of all kinds. “I realize that everybody is going through something,” he said. The training he has received through Stephen Ministry has helped Blaker grow personally and professionally. For example, one of his care receivers lost a spouse. While he has not experienced that situation, as he listens to his care receiver he has found himself more grateful for Stephanie, his wife of 30 years. And while he’s always considered himself a good listener and prepared for every task assigned to him, Blaker said he finds himself praying more for parishioners, co-workers and the people he meets during his investigations. He also spends more time truly listening than he did in the past. “I almost feel guilty. It seems as if I’m getting more out of it than my care receiver,” he said. “It takes very little effort, but it means so much [to someone else].” That sentiment is shared by Duane Kramer, a fellow Stephen Minister. After a bulletin announcement about Stephen Ministry was published a few years ago, Kramer, along with his wife Susan prayed and decided it would be a good way for them “to help the people who really have daily struggles in their lives.” “We all carry burdens,” he said, adding, “It’s given me a lot more
peace just knowing I am there for someone.” In order to prepare for his weekly meeting, Kramer spends time in eucharistic adoration immediately before. And he structures each hourly meeting with Christian music, quiet time for reflection, prayer, Bible readings and time for his receiver to share whatever is most pressing on his or her heart. It’s while listening to her care receiver’s struggles that Theresa Schwartz said she’s been blessed beyond measure. Having retired about two years ago from 40 years of nursing, Schwartz missed caring for others and admits to “keeping an eye out for the right opportunity.” Like the Kramers, a bulletin notice grabbed her attention. After undergoing the necessary training, eventually she was matched with her care receiver. “We just clicked,” she said, a fact she attributes to the Holy Spirit’s guidance of the ministry as a whole. Like Blaker, Schwartz sometimes feels she has grown a lot as a caregiver. “I’m not sure who is healing who here,” she said, adding that her caregiver has challenged her to go deeper into her Catholic faith. “It’s pretty amazing,” she added. Editor’s note: The care receiver’s name in this story has been changed as Stephen Ministry promises “confidential, one-toone Christian care.”
MAY 25, 2018 | THELEAVEN.ORG
LOCAL NEWS
Sharon (LaFavor) and Tony Hackney, members of Holy Trinity Parish, Lenexa, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on June 1. The couple was married on June 1, 1968, at Blessed Sacrament Church, Kansas City, Kansas. They will celebrate with their two children: Teanne Riley, Olathe; and Robert Hackney, Parkville, Missouri. They also have three grandchildren.
New kid on the block is old hand already
LEAVEN PHOTO BY MOIRA CULLINGS
Olivia Martin started as a reporter for The Leaven at the end of January. Originally from Salina, Martin has both studied and taught abroad, and speaks fluent Spanish. By Joe Bollig Leaven Staff
K
ANSAS CITY, Kan. — It was a sense of adventure and a love of travel that led Olivia Martin to ride a camel through the Sahara Desert in Morocco. And it led her into a strange situation, too. Martin and a small group of friends were coming to the end of a 12-hour van drive when they reached the rendezvous spot for a planned camel ride at about 5 p.m. But by that time, the wind had picked up and was blowing sand around, even entering the closed van. Visibility was marginal. Suddenly, a man with camels appeared out of the storm. The camel wrangler and the van driver had a long, animated conversation in Arabic, with many emphatic hand gestures. “I thought, ‘Are we really going to do this?’” said Martin. Indeed, the camel ride was on. Martin and the others donned sunglasses and face scarves, and mounted the camels. Off they went, mouths firmly shut, through the storm. By 10 p.m., the winds died, the skies cleared, and she was treated to the awesome sight of a desert night bejeweled by uncountable stars. The next day, it snowed. “It was especially rare,” said Martin. But Martin, like Dorothy in “The Wizard of Oz,” knew “there’s no place like home.” And so, eventually, and without the benefit of ruby slippers, she returned to Kansas. She became a reporter for The Leaven on Jan. 29. Martin was born and raised on farms just east of Salina. She and her family belonged to Immaculate Conception Cathedral, where seeing the bishop of the Diocese of Salina was a regular occurrence. Her late father Michael Martin, an agricultural loan officer at a bank, raised beef cattle and some crops.
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Her mother Clara Hilger is a physical therapist. They had three children, then adopted one more. After Michael died in 2016, her mother remarried, and Martin gained six step-siblings. Martin was home-schooled according to the St. Elizabeth Ann Seton curriculum until the seventh grade. Then, she attended Sacred Heart Junior High and Sacred Heart High School, graduating in 2012. Martin got her first taste of foreign adventure when she and her mother joined a Wichita pilgrimage group to World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid. “It was quite overwhelming,” she said. “We were there for two weeks. During the first week, we took day tours to nearby towns and stayed with families . . . in southeast Spain.” “That was my favorite part,” she continued, “because you got to meet with the people and be with the people, and live in their communities and see what their lives were like. They were extremely welcoming.” When it came to choosing a college, the choice was easy. Martin was sold on Benedictine College in Atchison — the only college she visited — during a visit on a beautiful, sunny fall day. Benedictine offered her study abroad opportunities — which she embraced wholeheartedly. She studied in Florence, Italy, in the spring of 2014, and in Seville, Spain, in the summer of 2015. It was during the later trip that Martin, who had joined the Communion and Liberation movement at Benedictine, met and became good friends with Archbishop Don Francisco Javier Martinez of the Archdiocese of Granada. Martin is still a member of Communion and Liberation. “I continue because the people I’ve met, who follow the movement, are the happiest people I’ve ever met,” she said, “and I want what they have. “I want to live the way they do and see and experience reality the way they do.”
Martin graduated from Benedictine in spring 2016 with a bachelor of arts degree in English literature and Spanish. After graduation, she taught at a primary school for six months in northern Spain. Her instruction was in English, according to the European method of language acquisition. While in Europe, she traveled a bit, raising her “countries visited” total to 13. When her contract was up, she returned to the United States, spending some time as a barista at The Roasterie in Kansas City, Missouri, where she learned a lot about coffee. But she’s no coffee snob. Her favorite is the “Gibraltar,” which is like a small latte. When Martin heard about an opening for a reporter at The Leaven, she applied. Thanks to her strong writing skills, she’s made a big impact from day one. “It has been a smooth adaptation, mostly because, during the first two weeks, I got a lot of one-on-one training from [predecessor] Moira Cullings,” said Martin, “and because of my way of learning how to adapt to different writing styles from mimicking what other people do. It helps I had excellent articles from excellent writers to look to.” She’s found a lot to enjoy about the job — which includes beating production manager Todd Habiger at basketball. It’s the most fun she’s ever had on a job. “I really appreciate the way everyone works together,” said Martin. “The Leaven is filled with people who are very open to meeting others in just the best sense of being open. Everybody understands each other’s strengths and quirks, and accepts and integrates everyone for who they are. “And it’s very clear everybody has something very specific that they’re good at and the team depends upon.” Martin will continue to write, translate and improve her photography in the months ahead, as she prepares to cover World Youth Day 2019 in Panama for the paper.
Stephen and Jeannine (Kiehl) Wyatt, m e m bers of St. John the Evangelist Church, Lawrence, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on May 30. The couple was married on May 30, 1968, at St. Joseph Church, Atchison, by then-Father Barnabas Senecal, OSB. Their children are: J. Kyle Wyatt and Katherine Elizabeth Blocker. They also have two grandsons. They will be honored with an anniversary celebration in Lawrence for family and friends. Arthur and Kay (Vohs) Henry, members of Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish, Wea, will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary with a family dinner. The couple was married on May 31, 1958, at Queen of the Holy Rosary. Their children are: Mitchell Henry, Lisa Merriman, Connie Goodwin and Julie Fasani. Margie (Jimeson) and Joe Lehmkuhl, members of Holy Trinity Parish, Lenexa, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on June 2 with a reception for family and friends. There will be a blessing at Holy Trinity at 11:30 a.m. on June 3. The couple celebrated with a January trip to Hawaii. They were married on June 1, 1968, at St. Dominic Parish, Holton, by Father Edward Hays. Their children are: Darcie Lehmkuhl Clum, Lenexa; and Joseph Lehmkuhl, Olathe. They also have seven grandchildren. Glen and Mary Ellen (Gudenkauf) Rusche, members of Sts. Peter and Paul Parish, Seneca, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on June 3 with a Mass followed by a dinner and reception with family and friends in the parish hall. The couple was married at St. Patrick Church, Corning, on April 27, 1968, by Father Robert Pool. Their children are: Lena Gruenbacher, Brenda Rottinghaus, Kelly Osterhaus, Steven Rusche and Damian Rusche. They also have 23 grandchildren.
MAY 25, 2018 | THELEAVEN.ORG
LOCAL NEWS TOOLS FOR FAMILIES Growing as Disciples of Jesus
Want to change the world? While it would be easy to blame anonymous cultural forces for moral decay and attacks against human dignity, remember what Ignatius of Loyola said: “He who goes about to reform the world must begin with himself.” If we are serious about changing the world, we must be willing to change personalARTWORK BY NEILSON CARLIN, 2015 ly. Experience change through: • daily Scripture meditation • weekly Mass attendance as a family • regular meals together as a family • nightly prayer with our children • weekly eucharistic adoration hour • strengthening our marriage through marriage enrichment — Brad DuPont, consultant for the archdiocesan office of marriage and family life
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Holy Family, Summerfield Address: 600 Main Street Phone: (785) 736-2220 Pastor: Father Gova Showraiah Narisetty, MSFS Mass time: Sunday, 8:15 a.m. MORE PHOTOS AND A VIDEO TOUR of this church can be seen online at: www.theleaven.org.
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TEAM OF THE WEEK SWIMMING
State championship
Swimmers and divers from St. James Academy, Bishop Miege, Hayden and St. Thomas Aquinas competed in the Kansas State High School Athletic Association championships in Topeka May 18-19. St. Thomas Aquinas finished first in Class 5A-1A. Bishop Miege was fourth, St. James was ninth and Hayden finished in 30th place.
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Golf classic helps drive out hunger
AKE QUIVIRA — More than 150 golfers, sponsors and volunteers gathered at the scenic Lake Quivira Country Club to celebrate the 37th annual Ben and Betty Zarda Family Golf Classic benefiting Catholic Charities Foundation of Northeast Kansas. In addition to enjoying an afternoon of play, the golfers were helping raise funds to feed hungry kids and families. “It’s all about families helping families in our community,” said Ben Zarda. “At our tournament, our golfers are having fun raising funds.” While the golfers hit the links, other guests joined the 4th annual Wine Cruise where they tasted and learned about several select wines while navigating across Lake Quivira. The event concluded with a dinner reception served in the clubhouse. This year’s event raised a recordbreaking amount of over $161,000 to support Catholic Charities’ Summer Food Program.
Colby Rieke (grandson of Ben and Betty Zarda), left, Betty Zarda, Ben Zarda and Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann take part in the 37th annual Ben and Betty Zarda Family Golf Classic benefiting Catholic Charities Foundation of Northeast Kansas.
‘I’m not going to fix this’ >> Continued from page 1 part of the conversation.” Prayer to Our Lady continued in the days that followed as the group visited a city dump, as well as a shelter for nearly 400 homeless elderly women. “One thousand people work in the city dump and live there,” said Brown. And due to changes in animal protection laws in Mexico City, animals are no longer allowed to carry waste up the mountains of garbage in the city dump — so humans do it. “They do that all day long,” said Brown. “They live there. They don’t go home. They never get away from the smell. It’s like wearing it.” As soon as Terry Malnar heard about the mission trip, she knew she wanted to go with her family. She wasn’t sure what to expect, however, and was nervous starting out. “I was really concerned, especially at the dump, about the smell and getting sick,” she said. “And then I got there, and I didn’t notice any smell at all. And, I mean, we were in a city dump! “Even though there was trash all around and they live in shacks, it was like I had tunnel vision on the people and nothing else mattered.” “I could have been anywhere,” she added, “at church in Overland Park. It didn’t faze me while I was there. It was just grace.” The group attended Mass in a chapel called Cristo de los Humildes, or “Christ of the Humble,” which was made from the garbage in the dump, including a reclaimed crucifix. “I remember during the penitential rite,” said Terry Malnar, “I got overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude — that I was blessed.”
The women’s shelter Anna Brown, a student at St. James Academy in Lenexa and daughter of Randy Brown, also experienced apprehension approaching the mission, but felt it dissolve once
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“THEY LIVE [IN THE DUMP]. THEY DON’T GO HOME. THEY NEVER GET AWAY FROM THE SMELL. IT’S LIKE WEARING IT.” they arrived at the shelter for elderly homeless women. “When we got there all of the women were welcoming and greeted us with hugs,” she said. “We painted their nails and danced — it was really a lot of fun!” Some in the group brought instruments and filled the afternoon with music and dancing. “I must have danced with these ladies for an hour at least out in the sun!” said Terry Malnar. “They were so excited.” The visit to the women’s shelter evoked the same sense of community, but it was also difficult. “That was a hard experience,” said Gerry Malnar. “Even as a physician, it was hard to watch and see . . . a lot of marginalized women who have no families to take care of them. “Being a gynecologist by training . . . I [participated] in a conversation trying to help a particular resident there. “Being able to work things out and come up with practical solutions, especially when you don’t have a lot of tools, resonated with me because I really should be approaching all my problems this way: Keep it simple and focus on what’s important.”
Communicating across barriers “The mission,” Randy Brown explained, “was to get as close as we could to the poor through eye contact, touch and just to share humanity.”
This human connection was possible across the language barriers. “A few of [the women] knew sign language,” said Anna Brown, “and I’m studying sign language right now. So even though there are different languages within sign language, I was still able to piece it together.” “I can’t even speak the language,” said Randy Brown, “but when I was handing a burrito [to someone], I could feel their hand — there’s a contact there and a compassion in the eyes that’s hard to explain. “They soften you.” Gerry Malnar found the trip’s encounters with the poor to be experiences of hope rather than despair. “As a physician, it’s kind of in our DNA to want to fix things,” he said. “Then you . . . realize very quickly, ‘I’m not going to fix this.’ “It took a while for us to wrap our heads around the fact that that really wasn’t why we were there. “We were there more to acknowledge them as fellow human beings that mattered, because all of us do.”
A family experience The fact that the mission was made within the context of family made the experience even more profound to the pilgrims. “It’s always great to do stuff with family,” said Gerry Malnar. “We were able to share all of our experiences as we went through the mission.” “When you . . . see that kind of poverty together, [it] helps you grow closer,” agreed Anna Brown. “We spent two nights talking about [the mission],” added her father. “Nobody was unaffected, that’s for sure.” Most striking to Randy Brown was the gratitude that was present even in the midst of the mission. “There was no complaining,” he said. “This was a transformational aspect of the people, the setting, the whole human experience.” “[We] got a chance to give [ourselves] to the poor and receive the poor,” he added. “It was awesome because of the poor.”
MAY 25, 2018 | THELEAVEN.ORG
LOCAL NEWS Darlene (Joy) and Ronald F. Vaughn, members of Curé of Ars Parish, Leawood, will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on June 9. The couple was married on June 9, 1958, in the Marine Corps Base’s memorial chapel in Quantico, Virginia, where Ron was in officer training. Their children are: Julia McNeal, Jennifer Merrill and Ronald F. Vaughn Jr. They also have 10 grandchildren and one great-grandson. They will celebrate with their entire family on June 9. A lawn party and dinner are planned. Frank and Jane (Watkins) Croskey, members of Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish, Overland Park, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on June 8. Father David O’Leary at Sacred Heart Church in Eureka married the couple on June 8, 1968. Their children are: Michelle Sherley of Basehor and Dana Wells of Overland Park. They also have four grandchildren.
ARCHBISHOP NAUMANN May 25 Spiritual Mentorship Program vespers, Mass and dinner — Savior Pastoral Center May 26 Mass and church blessing — St. Gregory, Marysville May 27 St. Gianna Molla Mass — Holy Spirit, Overland Park May 29 Mass and breakfast — Fraternity of the Poor Quarterly retired priests meeting Administrative Team meeting May 30 U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Communications Committee video conference call May 31 Annual Serra golf dinner with priests, deacons and seminarians — St. Patrick, Kansas City, Kansas June 1 Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas Mass and Continuing Education program — Savior Pastoral Center June 2 Pastoral visit — Holy Family, Eudora June 3 Deacon Cohort 3 Ministry of Lector
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Announcement
June 4-7 Priests retreat June 8 Junior High Camp dinner, confessions and Mass — Prairie Star Ranch June 9 Pastoral visit — Sacred Heart, Baileyville, and St. Mary, St. Benedict June 10 Archdiocesan 50th wedding anniversary Mass and reception — Nativity, Leawood June 11-15 U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops spring assembly — Fort Lauderdale, Florida June 16 Pastoral visit — Cathedral of St. Peter, Kansas City, Kansas
ARCHBISHOP KELEHER May 27 Mass — Federal prison camp
Father John H. Wisner has been returned to the lay state (laicized) by a decree issued by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann on Dec. 21, 2017, and affirmed by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on March 2. Multiple allegations of sexual abuse of minors by Wisner were received by the archdiocese beginning in May 2012, which resulted in his immediate suspension from active priestly ministry and immediate notification of local law enforcement. Results of an investigation by the archdiocese were reviewed by the Independent Review Board, which found the allegations to be credible. The archdiocese asks anyone who has knowledge of inappropriate conduct by any church employee, volunteer, clergy or religious to please contact the Confidential Report Line at (913) 647-3051 to reach archdiocesan report investigator Jan Saylor; go to archkck.org/reportabuse to report online; or call law enforcement directly.
May 31 Annual Serra golf dinner with priests, deacons and seminarians — St. Patrick, Kansas City, Kansas June 3 Mass — Federal prison camp 25th anniversary celebration for Father Bill Bruning
Mass — Savior Pastoral Center
June 5-7 Labor Review Board — New York City
Corpus Christi procession — Holy Cross, Kansas City, Missouri
June 10 Mass — Federal prison camp
Marian Conference set for June 22-23 KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Marian Conference IV of Greater Kansas City will be held June 22-23 at St. Thomas More Parish here, located at 11822 Holmes Rd. The conference begins at 5 p.m. on June 22. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann will preside at the 7 p.m. Mass. The conference is free. For more information or to register, go online to: www. stmkc.com/mc.
7th Annual Brat Trot!
Saturday, June 2 at 8 a.m. 5k Run/Walk
$30 Registration includes: T-shirt, snacks & bratwurst Register at: tinyurl.com/BratTrot2018 Begin at Sacred Heart, loop through 3.1 miles of Oakland and then return to Sacred Heart
Saturday June 2 4 p.m. Outdoor Mass 5 p.m. German Food Line Opens Children’s Inflatables & Mini-Train Sunday June 3 10 a.m. German Food Line Opens Carnival, Games, Bingo 2 p.m. Oral Auction, Drawings
Both Days! Authentic German Food, Basket Booth, Silent Auction, Fancy Booth, Country Store, Jewelry Booth, Germanfest T-shirts and Souvenirs, Entertainment, Snack Bar, Bier Garten & Much More!
THE CHARDON POLKA BAND Saturday 7-11 p.m. Sunday 10:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. SACRED HEART CHURCH, 312 NE FREEMAN, TOPEKA
Cash —$10 donation per ticket • $10,000 Wow Drawing - $1 donation per ticket • Apple iPad • Apple Watch Series 3 • Bose Bluetooth Speaker • 55” 4K, UHD Samsung TV • (2)$200 Regal Movie Theater Gifts Cards
Winner responsible for applicable taxes/fees
Details www.SacredHeartStJosephCatholic.org
is affiliated with Warren-McElwain Mortuary, Lawrence, KS “Locally Owned and Operated Since 1904”
1844 Minnesota Ave. Kansas City, Kansas 913-371-7000 “Dignified and Affordable Without Compromise”
Need not be present to win
Quilts - $1 donation per ticket • 3 beautiful handmade quilts donated by St. Anthony’s Guild
ChardonPolkaBand.com
Announcement Joseph A. Butler & Son Funeral Home has re-opened as
DRAWINGS
Jim Larkin
Sam Garcia
Seasoned by encuentro process, Hispanics and Latinos
PREPARE TO LEAD
When Hispanic and Latino leaders from a four-state area gathered at Savior Pastoral Center in Kansas City, Kansas, April 27-29, they brought experiences shared with them in countless discussions with their Catholic peers. Those stories were not too different from those of many Catholics. There were stories about ways the church had changed since they were kids. And stories about parish programs that worked — and some that didn’t. Even stories of beloved priests, true leaders of their parish communities. But one story they heard again and again was one unique to the Catholics they were canvassing — and it was a story to break your heart. For it was a story of not feeling welcome.
The April 27-29 Region IX encuentro held at Savior P
By Olivia Martin olivia.martin@theleaven.org
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ANSAS CITY, Kan. — The gathering was the historic Region IX meeting held here at Savior Pastoral Center April 27-29, and the final step in the preparation for the fifth (V) national encuentro (“encounter”). In response to the growing numbers of the Hispanic and Latino community in the United States, which will soon constitute nearly half of American Catholics, the U.S. bishops called for the encuentro in an effort to understand and respond to the reality of a changing church. But V Encuentro would be different from earlier ones. For while the stories at the April gathering told an old tale — of exclusion and feelings of alienation — the numbers tell of a changing reality. While earlier encuentros — in 1972, 1977, 1985 and 2000 — approached the pastoral challenge of ministering to Hispanics as a small constituency within the whole, the growth of the Hispanic presence in the last 50 years has given them a new and leading role. “This encuentro,” explained Father Gianantonio Baggio, CS, “is an event to renew and review the pastoral plan for Hispanic ministry at the national level.” Father “Giani” is the director of Hispanic ministry for the archdiocese and has been accompanying lay leaders in the process of preparing for the V Encuentro. “The V Encuentro says we have to review everything because the situation has changed.” This information includes past pastoral plans to current statistics. “According to the statistics that we have gathered,” said Father Giani, “Hispanic people younger than 18 are already over 50 percent of the church in the
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JOE MCSORLEY
Bishop James V. Johnston of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, middle, takes part in one of the discussions at the April Region IX Encuentro at Savior Pastoral Center. United States. “Hispanics will be the majority. It’s just a question of time if it hasn’t already happened.” Preparation for the V Encuentro began in 2015 at the parish level, then continued to develop at the diocesan, and eventually regional, levels. The Region IX meeting was the final meeting of the regional leaders prior to the national V Encuentro Sept. 20-23 in Dallas. Delegates and leaders from 15 Midwestern dioceses across Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri attended the Region IX meeting and discussed and analyzed information that has been collected at the parish and diocesan level over the past four years. The gathered data then informed the discussion as to ways to live out Christ’s call to be “discípulos misioneros” — “missionary disciples.” “We are now able to be aware of what each diocese, each parish, has been doing,” said Milagros Calvetti, the episcopal regional chairperson for Region
IX in an address at the meeting. “The church has asked us to know, be grateful for and ask for missionary disciples,” said Calvetti. “This is the principal objective. “It has asked us to develop leaders to respond to a young church.” The information discussed in the regional working document includes the obstacles, needs and situations of Latino people living on the periphery of society; the gifts and talents Latino people desire to bring to the U.S. church; obstacles to integration in the church; and ways in which dioceses can and are already responding. The regional working document also outlined the status of Hispanic ministry available in schools and parishes and the presence of Hispanic priests in the region. Finally, it contained information from the U.S. Census Bureau that highlighted statistics pertaining to income, marital rate, family size, school enrollment and health insurance coverage in both Hispanic and non-Hispanic white households,
Delegates and leaders from 15 Midwestern diocese concerning Hispanic Catholics that have been colle with the hope that it will help lay and clerical leaders understand the concrete ways in which the church is changing.
‘Listen, listen, listen’ Carlos Torres, a parishioner of St. Paul Parish in Olathe, was part of the delegation that attended the regional encuentro and has been contributing to the process for years. “I have seen the fruits from the encuentro already,” he said.
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JOE MCSORLEY
Pastoral Center was the last step before these and other Hispanic leaders from across the country gather in Dallas in September for the national V Encuentro. one of these wounds that is a difficulty for Hispanics in this archdiocese and throughout the region is the feeling of not being welcome. “It’s not a question of hanging a sign in front of the church that says everybody is welcome,” said Father Giani. “It’s the attitude. It’s what you do for people to help them feel welcome. “The Hispanic [community] is urgent — massive — and we are losing people. We are losing Catholics.”
‘Open heart’
LEAVEN PHOTO BY JOE MCSORLEY
es across Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Missouri attended the Region IX meeting to discuss information ected at the parish and diocesan level over the past four years. “At the beginning, people were a little bit shy,” Torres said, when they were asked to get personally involved and lead at the local level. “They weren’t sure that they were capable of going out and knocking on doors,” he continued. But in the end, the mission took hold of them and gave them courage. “The first [mission challenge] was to go outside and observe people in the Hispano-Latino community and watch and listen to what they are saying,” said Torres. “The mission was just listen,
listen, listen.” Another mission required participants to engage a family in conversation about their relationship with the church and society as Hispanics or Latinos. Through the work of the missions, Torres was surprised to find a struggling and wounded church. “It was a shock to see people hurt inside the church,” he said, “sometimes because of the church and sometimes because of society — I never thought about it.” The mission process revealed that
Many parishes throughout the archdiocese are already attempting to address these needs — and many more — on the parish level. Just since starting preparations for the encuentro, Torres said, he has noticed constructive changes already taking place. “When we realized we were having problems in the church outside,” he said, “we noticed a few things that we are already implementing in our church.” Among several instances, Father Giani praised Good Shepherd Parish in Shawnee and St. Paul Parish in Olathe as examples of parishes who are doing exceptional work of merging the Englishand Spanish-speaking communities. In addition, he praised the work that is being done within the clergy. “Monsignor [Michael] Mullen at St. Patrick Parish doesn’t speak Spanish,” said Father Giani, “but he gives the example of an open heart. “The people love him, all of them, and he is really able to make space for everybody and make them feel welcome.” Near the end of a session at the regional encuentro, Calvetti gave words of encouragement to continue the work of being missionary disciples for Christ. “We must stay alert in the present,” she said, “so we can discover what is here and now in our lives. “God is our ultimate goal.”
The V Encuentro timeline 2014 • Preliminary planning and creation of the national and episcopal regional team 2015 • Regional encuentro gatherings and introduction to forming diocesan teams • Introduction of the episcopal regional team and diocesan representatives to an experience of encuentro • Introduction of participants to the process of forming diocesan teams 2016 • Oct. 28-29: Parish leaders from eight parishes in Wyandotte and Johnson counties participate in local encuentro at Sacred Heart Church in Kansas City, Kansas. • Formation and training of diocesan and parish teams, including lay ecclesial movements, Catholic schools, universities and other ministries • V Encuentro process guide is printed and distributed. 2017 • Parish and diocesan encuentros • Parishes, ecclesial movements, ministries, etc., participate in the V Encuentro process that leads to a parish encuentro. 2018 • Regional encuentros • April 27-29: Region IX encuentro • Sept. 20-13: V Encuentro in Dallas 2019 • Production and distribution of V Encuentro final document
MAY 25, 2018 | THELEAVEN.ORG
VATICAN
Pope to canonize Paul VI, Oscar Romero
By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service
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ATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis will declare Blesseds Oscar Romero, Paul VI and four others saints Oct. 14 at the Vatican during the meeting of the world Synod of Bishops, an institution Blessed Paul revived. The date was announced May 19 during an “ordinary public consistory,” a meeting of the pope, cardinals and promoters of sainthood causes that formally ends the sainthood process. During the consistory, Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes, formally petitioned the pope “to enroll in due course among the saints” six candidates for canonization “for the glory of God and the good of the whole church.” Each of the candidates, the cardinal told the pope, gave “a convinced and coherent witness to the Lord Jesus. Their example continues to enlighten the church and the world in accordance with the perspective of mercy that your Holiness never ceases to indicate and propose.” Briefly giving a biographical sketch of the candidates, Cardinal Amato said that during El Salvador’s civil war, Archbishop Romero, “outraged at seeing the violence against the weak and the killing of priests and catechists, felt the need to assume an attitude of fortitude. On March 24, 1980, he was killed while celebrating the Mass.” Reviewing the facts of Blessed Paul’s life, Cardinal Amato highlighted how, as a high-level official in the Vatican Secretariat of State during World War II, the future pope “organized charitable assistance and hospitality for those persecuted by Nazism and Fascism, particularly the Jews.” Pope Francis then certified that he had solicited the opinion of the cardinals, who agreed that “these same blesseds should be proposed to the whole church as examples of Chris-
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Pope will create 14 new cardinals in June
V CNS PHOTO/TYLER ORSBURN
Salvadoran Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chavez walks away after Mass while faithful hold an image of Blessed Oscar Romero at St. Camillus Church in Silver Spring, Md., April 10. tian life and holiness.” Blessed Romero, the archbishop of San Salvador, was assassinated one day after calling on the government to end its violation of the human rights of El Salvador’s people. While Catholics inside and outside El Salvador recognized him as a martyr immediately, his sainthood cause was stalled for years as some church leaders debated whether he was killed for his faith or for his politics. As Pope Francis told a group of Salvadoran pilgrims in 2015, even after his death Blessed Romero “was defamed, slandered, his memory tarnished, and his martyrdom continued, including by his brothers in the priesthood and in the episcopate.” In February 2015 Pope Francis signed the formal decree recognizing Blessed Romero’s martyrdom; the Salvadoran archbishop was beatified three months later in San Salvador. The pope will be in Central America for World Youth Day in Panama. Blessed Paul VI, who was born Giovanni Battista Montini, was pope from 1963 to 1978. He presided over the final sessions of the Second Vat-
ican Council and its initial implementation. He also wrote “Humanae Vitae,” a 1968 encyclical on married love, the 1975 apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Nuntiandi” on evangelization and “Populorum Progressio,” a 1967 encyclical on social development and the economy. Speaking in 2013 to a group of pilgrims from Brescia, Italy, Pope Paul’s home diocese, Pope Francis said his predecessor had “experienced to the full the church’s travail after the Second Vatican Council: the lights, the hopes, the tensions. He loved the church and expended himself for her, holding nothing back.” And, beatifying Pope Paul in 2014, Pope Francis noted that even in the face of “a secularized and hostile society,” Pope Paul “could hold fast, with farsightedness and wisdom — and at times alone — to the helm of the barque of Peter while never losing his joy and his trust in the Lord.” Pope Francis referred to him as “this great pope, this courageous Christian, this tireless apostle,” who demonstrated a “humble and prophetic witness of love for Christ and his church.”
ATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis announced he would make 14 new cardinals June 29, giving the red cardinal’s hat to the papal almoner, the Iraq-based patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church and the archbishop of Karachi, Pakistan, among others. Announcing his choices May 20, the pope said that coming from 11 nations, the new cardinals “express the universality of the church, which continues to proclaim the merciful love of God to all people of the earth.” Pope Francis’ list included three men over the age of 80 “who have distinguished themselves for their service to the church.” When the pope made the announcement, the College of Cardinals had 213 members, 115 of whom were under the age of 80 and therefore eligible to vote in a conclave to elect a new pope. Under Pope Francis, the idea that some church posts and large archdioceses always are led by a cardinal is fading, but is not altogether gone. His latest choices included the papal vicar of Rome, Cardinal-designate Angelo De Donatis, and the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal-designate Luis F. Ladaria. But other traditional cardinal sees like Venice and Milan in Italy or Baltimore and Philadelphia in the United States were not included in the pope’s latest picks. With the new nominations, the number of cardinal-electors — those under 80 and eligible to vote in a conclave — will exceed by five the limit of 120 set by Pope Paul VI. But previous popes also set the limit aside without formally changing the limit. After the consistory June 29, Pope Francis will have created almost half of the voting cardinals. Nineteen of those under 80 in late June will be cardinals given red hats by St. John Paul II; 47 will have been created by retired Pope Benedict XVI; and 59 will have been welcomed into the College of Cardinals by Pope Francis.
All of Chile’s bishops offer resignations after meeting on abuse By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service
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ATICAN CITY (CNS) — Every bishop in Chile offered his resignation to Pope Francis after a threeday meeting at the Vatican to discuss the clerical sexual abuse scandal. “We want to announce that all bishops present in Rome, in writing, have placed our positions in the Holy Father’s hands so that he may freely decide regarding each one of us,” Bishop Juan Ignacio Gonzalez Errazuriz of San Bernardo said May 18 in a statement on behalf of the country’s bishops. The unprecedented decision was made on the final day of their meeting May 15-17 with Pope Francis. Auxiliary Bishop Fernando Ramos Perez of Santiago, secretary-general of the Chilean bishops’ conference, said the pope had read to the 34 bishops a document in which he “expressed his conclusions and reflections” on the
2,300-page report compiled by Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta and his aide, Father Jordi Bertomeu, during a visit to Chile to investigate the scandal. “The pope’s text clearly showed a series of absolutely reprehensible acts that have occurred in the Chilean church in relation to those unacceptable abuses of power, of conscience and sexual abuse that have resulted in the lessening of the prophetic vigor that characterized her,” Bishop Ramos said. After reflecting on the pope’s assessment, he added, the bishops decided to hand in their resignations “to be in greater harmony with the will of the Holy Father.” “In this way, we could make a collegial gesture in solidarity to assume responsibility — not without pain — for the serious acts that have occurred and so that the Holy Father can, freely, have us at his disposal,” Bishop Ramos said. Shortly after the announcement, Juan Carlos Cruz, one of three survivors who met privately with Pope Fran-
cis in April, tweeted, “All Chilean bishops have resigned. Unprecedented and good. This will change things forever.” The bishops will continue in office unless or until the pope accepts their resignations. The document in which Pope Francis gave his evaluation of the situation of the church in Chile was leaked May 17 by Chilean news channel Tele 13. The Associated Press reported that the Vatican confirmed the document’s authenticity. The pope wrote in the document that removing some church leaders from office “must be done,” but that “it is not enough; we must go further. It would be irresponsible of us not to go deep in looking for the roots and structures that allowed these concrete events to happen and carry on.” The wound of sexual abuse, he said, “has been treated until recently with a medicine that, far from healing, seems to have worsened its depth and pain.” Reminding the bishops that “the disciple is not greater than his master,”
Pope Francis warned them of a “psychology of the elite” that ignores the suffering of the faithful. He also said he was concerned by reports regarding “the attitude with which some of you bishops have reacted in the face of present and past events.” This attitude, the pope said, was guided by the belief that instead of addressing the issue of sexual abuse, bishops thought that “just the removal of people would solve the problem.” Pope Francis said he was “perplexed and ashamed” after he received confirmation that undue pressure by church officials was placed on “those who carry out criminal proceedings” and that church officials had destroyed compromising documents. Those actions, he said, “give evidence to an absolute lack of respect for the canonical procedure and, even more so, are reprehensible practices that must be avoided in the future.”
MAY 25, 2018 | THELEAVEN.ORG
WORLD
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College graduates urged to make difference for those in need By Carol Zimmermann Catholic News Service
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ASHINGTON (CNS) — University of Notre Dame graduates were asked May 21 to take stock of where they are going and what they will do with their talents. “Today you have the opportunity to decide what you will be beyond this point. Will you say yes to God’s plan in your life?” Sister Normal Pimentel, recipient of the university’s 2018 Laetare Medal, asked the university’s graduating seniors. Sister Pimentel, a member of the Missionaries of Jesus, urged the graduates to think about what their response would be to the world “which needs you to make a difference and speak for the voiceless and help the voiceless have a voice.” The Laetare recipient, who has overseen the charitable arm of the Diocese of Brownsville, Texas, since 2008 — providing those in need in the Rio Grande Valley with emergency food and shelter, housing assistance, clinical counseling and pregnancy care — recounted her own experience as the child of Mexican immigrants and encouraged the graduates to accept God’s
CNS PHOTO/MATT CASHORE, COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME
Holy Cross Father John I. Jenkins, president of the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, places the Laetare Medal on Sister Norma Pimentel May 20 at the university’s 2018 commencement ceremony. Sister Pimentel, a member of the Missionaries of Jesus, is the executive director of Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley in Texas and longtime advocate for immigrants and refugees. call to stand in solidarity with those in need. The Laetare Medal given to Sister Pimentel is part of a long tradition at the university, presented annually since 1883 to honor a Catholic “whose genius has ennobled the arts and sciences, il-
Tax reform calls for creative giving By Tom Tracy Catholic News Service
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IAMI (CNS) — What has been described as the most significant overhaul of the federal tax system in three decades — the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act — also has been flagged as a potential train wreck for annual charitable giving. With its provision to nearly double the standard deduction to $12,200 for an individual and $24,400 for a married couple, the new tax plan may reduce the number of taxpayers who itemize deductions — including charitable donations — from the current 30 percent to 5 percent. Although the U.S. economy has shown a recent strengthening that may have positive outcomes for philanthropy, the disincentive to itemize, along with a decrease in the top marginal tax rate, could reduce charitable giving by anywhere from $4.9 billion to $13.1 billion annually, according to studies by the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. “All the charitable organizations are very concerned,” said Sally Mulhern, a New Hampshire-based estate planning attorney and author of “Estate Planning to Die For: An Insider’s Guide for Financial Professionals.” “Fewer people are going to itemize, and one of the motivations for people to make charitable donations has been for people to itemize and to reduce their taxes,” said Mulhern. She spoke with the Florida Catholic in tandem with her presentation at the second annual Legacy Planning Summit: Strategies for Professionals, sponsored by the Miami Archdiocese’s Development Corporation and held May 8 at Our Lady of the Lakes
Church in Miami Lakes. “There is a new hot word in charitable giving — ‘bundling,’” she said. “Instead of giving $4,000 in a given year, give $8,000, so that at least what would have been the second-year donation will be deductible.” Mulhern also suggested that charities and financial planning professionals make themselves more familiar with something that has been around for some time: the Qualified Charitable Distribution, or QCD, which also is known as the Charitable IRA Rollover. The QCD allows otherwise taxable distribution from an IRA owned by an individual who is age 70 and a half or over to be paid directly from the IRA to a qualified charity of their choice. “I have no idea why this giving opportunity hasn’t been heralded from the top of every church steeple,” Mulhern said, noting that through a QCD an individual can take $100,000 out of an IRA and apply that toward his or her minimum distribution, whereas in the past, pulling that same amount from the IRA for the charitable deduction would not have offset the taxes due. Legacy planning, bequests of property and retirement accounts offer plenty of creative personalized options for donors and charities to work together, Mulhern said. “My hope is that this change equals opportunity. That people will realize that retirement account charitable giving options are still out there, and, like gifts of appreciated stock, they provide fabulous opportunities,” Mulhern said. “There are all kinds of things people need to focus on so they don’t lose the tax benefits of the charitable bequests they have already put in place,” Mulhern added.
lustrated the ideals of the church and enriched the heritage of humanity.” Notre Dame’s graduation ceremony was attended by approximately 21,000 family members, friends, faculty and graduates. The event’s main speaker was Judge Sergio Moro, a Brazilian
federal judge who has been a central figure in efforts to confront corruption. In his address to students and their families, he said he realized how small the world is after asking himself what a judge in a Latin American country has to do with a university in the United States. “Everything is connected in this small world and you could have a reasonable expectation that what you do here in the United States, or more specifically at the University of Notre Dame, could have a positive impact abroad, all around the globe,” Moro said, adding: “This makes your responsibilities even bigger.” He also urged graduates to always fight for the common good. “Never forget to act with integrity and with virtue in your private and public life. Never stop fighting for these values within your community. Never give up on demanding virtue and integrity from your government,” he said. The ceremony concluded with a prayer by Chicago Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, who noted that the 2018 commencement fell on Pentecost and prayed for God to inspire the graduates with the Holy Spirit.
Lava displaces Hawaiians By Patrick Downes Catholic News Service
H
ONOLULU (CNS) — In addition to offering prayers, the Catholic Church is helping hundreds of residents displaced from a fierce and unpredictable volcanic eruption. Members of Sacred Heart Parish in the town of Pahoa in the Puna District of the island of Hawaii — known colloquially as the Big Island — are opening their hearts, their homes and their parish hall to those forced to flee the lava flowing from cracks in the ground in their neighborhood. About 1,700 people reside in Leilani Estates, a rural subdivision of acresized lots on a grid of about 22 miles of roads, where at least 15 fissures have opened up since May 3 spewing molten rock and poisonous sulfur dioxide gas. A Hawaii County evacuation order sent subdivision residents packing shortly after the eruption began. According to Hawaii County Civil Defense, 36 structures, including 26 homes, already have been destroyed by lava from the 2.5-mile-long fissure system, the newest outflow from Kilauea Volcano, which has been erupting since 1983. Lava so far has covered more than 115 acres. Some are staying at two county evacuation centers. Sacred Heart parishioners are being taken in by fellow parish members, according to parish administrator Father Ernesto Juarez. “Parishioners are opening up their homes,” he told the Hawaii Catholic Herald, Honolulu’s diocesan newspaper. Bishop Larry Silva of Honolulu was told that immediate needs for shelter, food and clothing were being addressed locally, but that “long-term needs may require help from outside the community.” HOPE Services Hawaii, which deals
CNS PHOTO/USGS, HANDOUT VIA REUTERS
A geologist inspects a crack on Old Kalapana Road on the Big Island of Hawaii May 10. primarily with homelessness on the Big Island, has deployed several staff members who, with others, are collecting data on evacuated households to determine their needs. As of May 10, the agency had gathered information on nearly 300 households. Other families have temporarily settled in with family and friends, but will have needs down the road, she said. Some hope to eventually go back home. “We’re still only days in and it looks like this is going to be a long one,” Menino said. In a message to Big Island parishes, Catholic Charities Hawaii’s Hawaii Island Community Director Elizabeth Murph said housing needs are a looming concern, in particular for those with mortgages to pay on houses they no longer have access to. Catholic Charities Hawaii has asked the public for monetary donations to be used for direct housing assistance for the victims of both the Kilauea eruption and April’s historic flooding on Kauai. Father Juarez said his church, which is three-and-a-half miles from the eruption, is not in any immediate danger. “We are safe in Pahoa as of now but we are always reminded to be vigilant,” he said. “We still need prayers,” he added. “The eruption is unpredictable.”
MAY 25, 2018 | THELEAVEN.ORG
CLASSIFIEDS
EMPLOYMENT President and CEO - Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas (CCNEK) is seeking to recruit a new president and CEO. In partnership with the board of directors, this position is responsible for the organization’s overall success. This is a high-level leadership position that requires a bachelor’s degree (graduate degree preferred) and demonstrated success with a minimum of 10 years of experience in a senior management position. CCNEK is a ministry of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas and this position will have administrative leadership responsibility there in addition to CCNEK. Qualified candidates should email their resume to Dan Heiman, Cornerstone Executive Search, at: danh@ cornerstone-kc.com or call (913) 341-7655 for additional information. 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, and 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. 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@ specialbeginningsonline.com or in person at 10216 Pflumm Rd., Lenexa, KS 66215. Preschool teaching positions - St. Ann Young Child Center in Prairie Village is looking to fill staff positions for the 201819 school year. Seeking a part-time 3-year-olds preschool teaching position for Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:45 a.m. - noon. A degree in education is required. Also seeking a part-time preschool aide for Monday - Friday from 8:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. Experience preferred but not necessary. Finally, seeking an extended-day aide for Monday through Friday from 3 - 6 p.m. If you love working with children and are looking for part-time work at our distinguished Young Child Center, call Tati at (913) 362-4660. Principal - St. James Parish, located in south St. Joseph, Missouri, seeks a principal committed to Catholic education with strong leadership, communication and motivational skills. Saint James School is a parish school serving approximately 145 pre-K to 8th-grade students with a staff of 15. The applicant must be a practicing Catholic; should have a master’s degree in educational administration; teaching experience and preferably three years’ administrative experience. This position leads school programs which ensure academic excellence. The applicant must be mission-driven and open to initiatives such as a classical approach to the spiritual, moral, physical and emotional development of the school community which enhances catholicity and effectiveness of education. This person is supervised by the pastor of the parish and the assigned superintendent of schools. Lead and assistant teachers - The Goddard School located at 21820 W. 115th Terr., Olathe, is looking for qualified lead teachers and assistant teachers — both full- and part- time positions are available. In our warm, loving atmosphere, our highly qualified teachers support the healthy development of children from 6 weeks to 6 years. Our teachers write and implement their own lesson plans based on our FLEX program, Goddard Developmental Guidelines and our monthly school theme. Lead teachers also complete other duties such as electronic daily attendance reports, progress reports and parent conferences. The hands-on efforts of the school owner and directors allow our teachers to focus on their children, their lesson plans and teaching to ensure a fun-filled day of learning. Full-time benefits include: competitive pay; paid time off; opportunities for professional development and career growth; and a great working environment. Qualified candidates must meet or exceed Kansas regulations, have strong communication skills and desire to learn and implement the Goddard School programs. Lead teachers should have an early childhood education degree or a CDA or a degree in a related field with an emphasis in early childhood education. Prior experience in a child care setting is preferred. To apply, email your resume to: olathe2ks@goddardschools. com or mail to: The Goddard School, 21820 W. 115th Terr., Olathe, KS 66061, Attention: Mandy Ellis, director. Guided studies teacher - St. James Academy in Lenexa is seeking a full-time guided studies teacher for the 2018-19 school year. The ideal candidate will be a practicing Catholic with a passion for creating disciples of Jesus. Candidates would ideally be certified in special education with experience at the secondary level. Those interested should apply at: www.archkckcs.org and should email a resume and cover letter to the St. James principal, Dr. Shane Rapp, at: srapp@ sjakeepingfaith.org.
Primary Montessori assistant - Our Lady’s Montessori School, OLMS, is a mission school of the Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity, SOLT, located in Kansas City, Kan. The role of the Montessori assistant is to provide classroom management for the primary ages of 3- to 6-year-olds, allowing children freedom to learn. A calm spirit and a servant’s heart required. A bachelor’s degree or higher is preferred; knowledge of early childhood education and Montessori pedagogy is helpful. Candidate must be a Catholic in good standing. To apply, email your resume to Laurel Sharpe at: lsharpe@olmskc.org. RCIA and confirmation coordinator - St. Ann Church in Prairie Village has a part-time position available for an RCIA and confirmation coordinator. This individual will be responsible for leading weekly RCIA sessions with catechumens and candidates, participating in all relevant liturgical rites, and maintaining regular contact with the catechumens during their formation, especially during their first year as Catholics. As confirmation coordinator, this individual will instruct and form 8th- graders at both St. Ann School and the St. Ann School of Religion in their Catholic faith; communicate with candidates, sponsors and parents about their responsibilities; and coordinate the confirmation liturgy under the direction of the pastor. The RCIA and confirmation coordinator may also be asked to teach adult faith formation classes and assist the pastor in other teaching duties as necessary. Candidates for this position must be active Catholics, understand the teachings of the Catholic Church, and be able to effectively instruct and communicate with both adults and teenagers. The RCIA and confirmation coordinator position is expected to be approximately 20 hours per week. Individuals interested in the position should email a cover letter and resume highlighting their qualifications to Father Craig Maxim at: frcraig@stannpv.org. Asphalt workers - Local asphalt paving and chip-seal contractor with 65 years’ experience is looking for dependable, professional workers. We need equipment operators experienced with distributors, pavers, rollers, skid steers and loaders. A Class A CDL with a current medical card is a plus. Call (913) 441-2555. EOE. Caregivers - We help seniors stay independent. You are passionate about caregiving. Benefits of Home - Senior Care is looking for compassionate caregivers to help us care for our clients! Part or full time, we work to meet your schedule and provide training. (913) 422-1422 or www.benefitsofhome. com. Do you enjoy driving? - The Kansas City Transportation Group is looking for chauffeurs to drive our guests to events, airport, dinner, etc. Business is growing and we are in need of workers with flexible hours, those who are retired, etc. Great pay and benefits. Send resume to: jkalbert@kctg.com or in person at Carey, 1300 Lydia Ave., Kansas City, MO 64106. Special education teacher - Do you love children and desire to work with unique learners in an elementary school setting? Holy Cross School in Overland Park is searching for a dynamic special education teacher for the 2018-19 school year. Contact Allison Carney at: acarney@holycrosscatholicschool.com or (913) 3817408. Business manager - St. Francis de Sales Church in Lansing is seeking a business manager. The ideal candidate will have a college degree; at least five years of business experience; a working knowledge of QuickBooks and Microsoft Office applications; and must be able to work independently and with other staff. Must be a practicing Catholic. This is a fulltime position, 32 - 40 hours per week, with benefits. For more information, contact Father William McEvoy at: Fr.Wm. McEvoy@gmail.com.
NELSON CREATION’S L.L.C. Home makeovers, kitchen, bath. All interior and exterior remodeling and repairs. Family owned, experienced, licensed and insured. Member St. Joseph, Shawnee. Kirk Nelson. (913) 927-5240; nelsport@everestkc.net 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. Decked Out In KC - We fix decks. 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. Member of Holy Trinity Parish. 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 be glad you did. Everything is guaranteed 100% (913) 461-4052 www.windowservicesoverlandpark.com drcconswindows@gmail.com. Father-and-son home exteriors and remodeling - Celebrating my 15th year in The Leaven as a small business owner! We do decks, siding, windows, doors, tile work, floors, wood rot, and interior and exterior painting. We can remodel bathrooms, kitchens or basements. We also reface cabinets and redo pesky popcorn ceilings. Call Josh at (913) 709-7230. Local handyman - Painting int. and ext., staining, wood rot, power wash, decks, doors and windows, masonry, hardwood floors, gutter cleaning, water heaters, toilets, faucets, garbage disposals, ceiling fans, mowing and more!! Member of Holy Angels Parish, Basehor. Call Billy at (913) 927-4118. HARCO Exteriors LLC Your Kansas City fencing specialists Family owned and operated (913) 815-4817 www.harcoexteriorsllc.com 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. 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. Swalms organizing - downsizing - cleanout 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.
SERVICES Clutter getting you down? - Organize, fix, assemble, install! “Kevin of all trades” your professional organizer and “Honey-do” specialist. Call or email me today for a free consultation at (913) 271-5055 or KOATorganizing@gmail.com. Insured. References.
Financial controller - Hayden Catholic High School in Topeka is accepting applications for a part-time financial controller. The job description can be found on the archdiocesan website at: www.archkck.org/schools; click on “Employment,” then click on “Job Openings.”
Rodman Lawn Care Lawn mowing, aeration, verticutting, mulching, Hedge trimming, leaf removal, gutter cleaning Fully insured and free estimates John Rodman (913) 548-3002
Openings at Holy Trinity School in Paola - Seeking applicants for multiple positions for the 2018-19 school year: Full-time teaching assistant for grades K - 4, M - F; music teacher, one day per week (prefer Thursdays, but flexible), grades pre-K - 8; and afterschool care M - F from 3 - 5:30 p.m. in the school commons. Interested applicants should email a letter of interest, resume and references to: molson@ holytrinitypaola.org.
Win disability benefits - Disabled and no longer able to work? Get help winning Social Security disability benefits. Free consultation. Eight years’ experience. No fee unless you win. Call (785) 331-6452 or send an email to: montemace2000@yahoo.com or visit montemacedisability.com.
HOME IMPROVEMENT 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) 935-0176 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) 579-1835. Email: smokeycabin@hot mail.com. Member of Holy Trinity, Lenexa. Water damage restoration - Framing, insulation, painting, Sheetrock, mold treatment and lead-safe certified. Insurance claims welcome. Serving Wyandotte and Johnson counties for 25 years. Call Jerry at (913) 206-1144. 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.
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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. Professional window cleaner - Residential only. Fully insured. Over 40 years experience. Free estimates. Contact Gene Jackson at (913) 593-1495.
CAREGIVING Child care services Oskaloosa.Child.Care@gmail.com 707 Liberty St. M - S, 6 a.m. - midnight. Now registering! Act now! - Companion, caregiver, will give superior personalized care for you or your loved one. Retired nurse; cosmetology and massage therapy training. Will take to Mass, doctor, hospital, traveling, movies, out to eat, etc. Will do light housekeeping and grocery shopping. Call (913) 7016381. CNA - Professional background in caregiving, provides quality private home care assistance for the elderly in the comfort of you home. Part-time or full-time assignments. Will consider live-in arrangements. 20 years’ seasoned experience. Dedicated to clients. Call (816) 806-8104. Looking for assisted living at home? - Before you move, call us and explore our in-home care options. We specialize in helping families live safely at home while saving thousands of dollars per year. Call today for more information or to request a FREE home care planning guide. Benefits of Home - Senior Care, www.benefitsofhome.com or call (913) 4221591 Just like family - Let us care for your loved ones in their homes. Two ladies with over 50 years’ combined experience. Looking for night shift coverage, some days. Great price, great references. Both experienced with hospice care. Call Kara at (913) 343-1602 or Ophelia at (913) 570-7276. 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.
FOR SALE Residential lifts - New and recycled. Stair lifts, porch lifts, ceiling lifts and elevators. St. Michael’s parishioners. KC Lift & Elevator at (913) 327-5557. (Formerly Silver Cross - KC) For sale - 3800-square-foot shop with 3-phase electricity, with or without machine-shop equipment. 30 minutes from downtown Kansas City in Tonganoxie. Building: $230,000. Call Pat at (913) 689-9244. For sale - Dell computer with monitor, keyboard and tower. Windows 7 OS. Has a new DVD drive and a new battery. Microsoft Office, black. In very good condition. $100 or best offer. Call (785) 272-7876 in the evenings. For sale - Double lawn crypt at Resurrection Cemetery in Lenexa, Garden of Hope section, double lawn crypt, lot 78 C, space 4. Conveyance fee included. $7500. Call Lou at (512) 294-2869. For sale - Two internal side-by-side crypts in the Mausoleum at Resurrection Cemetery. Call (913) 631-4348 for pricing. For sale - Two lots at Resurrection Cemetery. Assumption Garden, section D, lot 127, south side. Asking $2000 each. Call John at (913) 645-5882.
WANTED TO BUY
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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.
Speedy Guzman Moving and delivery Licensed and insured Anytime (816) 935-0176
Wanted to buy - Antique/vintage jewelry, paintings, pottery, sterling, etc. Single pieces or estate. Renee Maderak, (913) 475-7393. St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee.
Custom countertops - Laminates installed within five days. Cambria, granite and solid surface. Competitive prices, dependable work. Call the Top Shop, Inc., at (913) 962-5058. Members of St. Joseph, Shawnee. Quilted memories - Your Kansas City Longarm shop Nolting Longarm machines, quilting supplies and machine quilting services. We specialize in memorial quilts - custom designed memory quilts from your T-shirt collections, photos, baby clothes, college memorabilia, neckties, etc. For information or to schedule a free consultation, call (913) 649-2704. Visit the website at: www.quiltedmemoriesllc.com. Tree Trimming Tree Trimming/Landscaping Insured/References Free Estimates/Local Parishioner Tony (913) 620-6063 Cleaning lady - Reasonable rates; references provided. Call (913) 940-2959.
REAL ESTATE I NEED HOUSES! - We are members of Holy Trinity Parish and we pay cash for any real estate without any realtor commissions or fees. If you would like an easy, no-hassle sale at a fair price, please call me. We have 13 years of experience. Mark Edmondson (913) 980-4905.
Whole Estates Need to sell a home and everything in it? We buy it all at once in as-is condition. Call (816) 444-1950 or send an email to: www.wholeestates.com.
VACATION Branson condo - Newly updated. Perfect for couples or families. Sleeps six; fully furnished; WiFi; no stairs; close to entertainment; pools; exercise room, tennis and golf available. Call (913) 515-3044.
MAY 25, 2018 | THELEAVEN.ORG
CALENDAR 17TH ANNUAL GERMANFEST St. Joseph Parish 306 N. Broadway, Leavenworth June 2 from 4:30 - 9 p.m.
There will be a traditional German dinner served. The cost for dinner is $10 for adults; $4 for kids. There will also be a beer garden, wine, a raffle with cash and German prizes, and a silent auction. Outdoor music will be provided by Festhaus Musikanten polka band. Betty Jo Simmon, accordionist, will provide music in the dining hall. For more information, call the parish office at (913) 6823953 or go online to: @www.icsj.org.
2018 WALK FOR LIFE Advice & Aid Pregnancy Center 10901 Granada Ln., Overland Park June 2 at 8:30 a.m.
You can make a difference by walking to support the Advice and Aid pregnancy centers. Register online at: www.adviceandaid.com or call (913) 962-0200 for more information.
CROATIAN DAY 2018 St. John the Baptist Parish 708 N. 4th St., Kansas City, Kansas June 2 from 6 - 10 p.m.
This is a free event. Authentic Croatian food, raffles and beverages are available for a freewill donation. Dancing and music will be provided by Hrvatski Obicaj.
RESPITE CARE PROGRAM Holy Cross School 8101 W. 95th St., Overland Park May 26 from 4 - 8 p.m.
Respite care provides the gift of time away from caregiving for families with a loved one five years of age or older. For more information about the program, call Tom at (913) 647-3054 or send an email to: tracunas@ archkck.org; or Audrey Amor at (816) 7391197 or send an email to: aamor@sjakeep ingfaith.org. To register a loved one for the program go online to: www.archkck.org/ specialneeds and complete the online form.
ST. VINCENT DE PAUL CHURCH SOCIAL Onaga Fairgrounds 209 E. 9th St., Onaga June 3 at 11 a.m.
Chicken and pork dinners will be served from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. The cost is: $10 for adults; $7 for kids ages 5 - 12; and $3 for kids under the age of 5. There will be games and a bounce house for young kids. Bingo and other games will be held until 3 p.m. There will be a kickball game at 8 p.m. There will also be a silent auction. For more information, call (785) 458-9140.
SOLEMNITY OF THE SACRED HEART PRAYER VIGIL St. Joseph Parish 11311 Johnson Dr., Shawnee June 7 at 7 p.m.
This prayer vigil for the solemnity of the Sacred Heart will include vespers, an act of reparation, the Litany of the Sacred Heart and the chaplet of the Sacred Heart.
RETROUVAILLE Savior Pastoral Center 12601 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, Kansas June 8 - 10 RIDE FOR LIFE Holy Angels Parish 514 E. 4th Ave., Garnett June 3 at 10 a.m.
Mass at 10 a.m. will be followed by a blessing of the bikes at 11 a.m. Lunch will follow as a presentation of the film “I Lived on Parker Avenue” is shown. This short film tells of life, love and adoption. The cost is $25 and includes a shirt, lunch and commemorative pin.
SUMMER FESTIVAL Sisters, Servants of Mary Convent 800 N. 18th St., Kansas City, Kansas June 3 from noon - 4 p.m.
Retrouvaille provides help for dealing with marriage problems/difficulties/crises. The program offers hope that it is not too late for a better marriage. For more information, contact the registration team at (800) 470-2230 or visit the website at: HelpOurMarriage.com.
GARAGE SALE Queen of the Holy Rosary 22779 Metcalf Rd., Bucyrus June 9 from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. June 10 from 8 a.m. - noon
Come see what’s for sale at this 700-family garage sale. On Sunday, most items that will fit into a trash bag will be $5 per bag. For more information, call (913) 244-2403.
Enjoy food and fun at the summer festival to benefit the charitable works of the Sisters, Servants of Mary. There will be homemade tacos and tamales, Italian sausage and barbecue beef sandwiches and more. There will also be games for children and booths with items for sale. For more information, call (913) 3713423.
DIVORCED: CALLED TO LOVE AGAIN Church of he Ascension (St. Luke Room) 9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park 2nd and 4th Sunday’s at 6:30 p.m.
What’s next after divorce/annulment? Join us for a formation series on the gift of self, which helps us fulfill the call to love again. Visit our Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/giftof self143 or send an email to: calledtolove143@ gmail.com.
BEGINNING EXPERIENCE Precious Blood Center 2140 St. Gaspar Way, Liberty, Missouri June 22 - 24
PICNIC AND AUCTION St. James Parish 306 5th St., Wetmore June 10 at 4:30 p.m.
The cost for a dinner of roast beef and ham is: $10 for adults; $5 for kids 4 - 10; and kids 3 and under eat for free. There will be games for all ages on the church grounds. The auctions begins at 8 p.m. inside the church hall.
LEGATUS SUMMER SOCIAL Bishop Miege High School (St. Angela Merici Chapel, west entrance) 5041 Reinhardt Dr., Roeland Park June 13 at 6 p.m.
The Legatus Kansas City Chapter invites qualifying Catholic CEOs, presidents or managing partners and theirs spouses to Mass at 6 p.m. There will be a reception and dinner following Mass at Mission Hills County Club, 5400 Mission Dr., Mission Hills. Monsignor Stuart Swetland will be the guest speaker. If you are interested in membership in Legatus and would like to explore a monthly meeting, RSVP by June 7 to: KansasCity@Legatus.org or call Nelson Newcomer at (816) 564-2658.
GARAGE SALE Church of the Ascension 9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park June 13-16
June 13: 3 to 7 p.m., presale $5 per person; June 14: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; June 15: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.; and June 16: 8 a.m. to noon (bag sale, all you can fit bags are $5 or $10).
HEALING MASS Curé of Ars Church (Father Burak Room) 9405 Mission Rd., Leawood June 14 at 7:30 p.m.
The cost for a supper of beef brisket or pork is $10 for adults: $5 for kids ages 4 - 10. There will also be bingo, other games, a raffle and an auction.
This is a weekend away for those who are widowed, separated and divorced; who are suffering the loss of a love relationship and may feel left out by their church and uneasy around married friends. For more information, go to the website at: www.beginningexperiencekc. org; send an email to: register.bekc@gmail. com; or call Lori at (913) 980-7966.
FAMILY SPECIAL-NEEDS SUMMER CAMP Prairie Star Ranch 1124 California Rd., Williamsburg June 29 - July 1
A summer camp for families who have a child (or children) with special needs will be held. For information about the camp, go online to: www.archkck.org/specialneeds for details or call Tom Racunas, lead consultant for the special-needs ministry, at (913) 647-3054 or send an email to: tracunas@archkck.org.
‘FINDING THE SACRED THROUGH DEPRESSION’ Sophia Spirituality Center 751 S. 8th St., Atchison June 27 from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
This retreat explores the value of deepening spiritual practices to find new hope and discover one’s own path to the God of grace and compassion. For more information or to register, call (913) 360-6173 or visit the website at: www.sophiaspiritualitycenter.org.
SAINT THOMAS AQUINAS’ GRADE SCHOOL SUMMER CAMPS St. Thomas Aquinas High School 11411 Pflumm Rd., Overland Park June and July
There will be a variety of summer camps for students entering grades K - 8 to explore and discover their potential in both sports and other activities. Information about the camps and registration forms are available on the website at: www.stasaints.net/ summer camps. If you have questions, call the athletic office at (913) 319-2416 or send an email to: btriggs@stasaints.net.
A Mass with prayers for healing, sponsored by archdiocesan charismatic prayer groups, will be held. Father Anthony Ouellette will preside. For more information, call (913) 649-2026.
MEMORIAL LITURGY Curé of Ars Church 9405 Mission Rd., Leawood June 16 at 8 a.m.
There will be a memorial liturgy for deceased loved ones followed by a grief support meeting in the Father Burak Room. The topic will be: “Family Dynamics after Loss.” For more information, call (913) 649-2026.
PARISH PICNIC St. Malachy Parish 1008 Main St., Beattie June 10 at 5 p.m.
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MEXICAN FIESTA St. John the Evangelist Parish 1234 Kentucky, Lawrence June 22 and 23 from 6 - 11:30 p.m.
There will be authentic Mexican food, mariachis and live entertainment from Paradize Band on Friday and Grupo on Saturday. There will be carnival-type games on Saturday. Admission is free.
TOTUS TUUS FOR PEOPLE WITH SPECIAL NEEDS Queen of the Holy Rosary 7023 W. 71st St., Overland Park July 23 - 27 from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.
The Totus Tuus teams will offer an adapted Totus Tuus program for people with special needs. This program is designed for persons ages 6 to adult with intellectual or developmental disabilities. The registration deadline is July 2. For information on how to register or volunteer, go to the website at: www.archkck. org/specialneeds; call Tom Racunas at (913) 647-3059; or send an email to: tracunas@ archkck.org.
MAY 25, 2018 | THELEAVEN.ORG
COMMENTARY
Just give it a rest
EIGHTH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME May 27 THE MOST HOLY TRINITY Dt 4: 32-34, 39-40 Ps 33: 4-6, 9, 18-20, 22 Rom 8: 14-17 Mt 28: 16-20 May 28 Monday Pt 1: 3-9 Ps 111: 1-2, 5-6, 9, 10c Mk 10: 17-27 May 29 Tuesday 1 Pt 1: 10-16 Ps 98: 1-4 Mk 10: 28-31 May 30 Wednesday 1 Pt 1: 18-25 Ps 147: 12-15, 19-20 Mk 10: 32-45 May 31 THE VISITATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY Zep 3: 14-18a (Ps) Is 12: 2-3, 4bcd, 5-6 Lk 1: 39-56 June 1 Justin, martyr 1 Pt 4: 7-13 Ps 96: 10-13 Mk 11: 11-26 June 2 Marcellinus and Peter, martyrs Jude 17, 20b-25 Ps 63: 2-6 Mk 11: 27-33 NINTH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME June 3 THE MOST HOLY BODY AND BLOOD OF CHRIST (Corpus Christi) Ex 24: 3-8 Ps 116: 12-13, 15-18 Heb 9: 11-15 Mk 14: 12-16, 22-26 June 4 Monday 2 Pt 1: 2-7 Ps 91: 1-2, 14-16 Mk 12: 1-12 June 5 Boniface, bishop, martyr 2 Pt 3: 12-15a, 17-18 Ps 90: 2-4, 10 Mk 12: 13-17 June 6 Norbert, bishop 2 Tm 1: 1-3, 6-12 Ps 123: 1-2 Mk 12: 18-27 June 7 Thursday 2 Tm 2: 8-15 Ps 25: 4-5, 8-10, 14 Mk 12: 28-34 June 8 THE MOST SACRED HEART OF JESUS Hos 11: 1, 3-4, 8c-9 (Ps) Is 12: 2-6 Eph 3: 8-12, 14-19 Jn 19: 31-37 June 9 The Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary 2 Tm 4: 1-8 Ps 71: 8-9, 14-15b, 16-17, 22 Lk 2: 41-51
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L
ast Tuesday, things were more boisterous than usual at The Leaven. Everyone was in a giddy mood as this is our last weekly issue until September. Each summer, as you know, we publish every other week. There are two reasons for that. First, activities in archdiocesan parishes and organizations ratchet down quite a bit, so there’s less news to report. Secondly, the every-other-week Leaven schedule gives the staff here a chance to get in a vacation or time to relax. Now, don’t get me wrong. We truly enjoy reporting the news, and our usual weekly format lets us get you stories in a timely fashion. But we also love the summer break as it gives us a chance to catch our breath. Leisure is becoming a rare commodity in our world today, especially with all of the activities and technology available to us. We have difficulty keeping even one day a week relaxed, the Sabbath. Rabbi Tzvi Marx addresses this problem very eloquently: “Thirty-nine work activities are prohibited on the Jewish Sabbath. There is a popular mis-
T
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.
conception that these restrictions give rise to an onerous, rule-ridden, joyless day. On the contrary, the experience of observant Jews is that these well-defined guidelines make possible, every seven days, the physical and spiritual renewal which modern men and women need. “Just visualize the feeling of liberation from the telephone, traffic jams, dislocation and responsibility; imagine having the leisure to be . . . available to your family, local friends and neighbors, able to absorb the detail of the neighborhood that you choose to live within, without the
pressure to fix it, change it, resolve it, transform it; picture the periodic opportunity of carrying on a conversation with an acquaintance or a friend, finishing a story with your child or just staring into space without feeling that you are guilty of not using your time constructively. People pay a lot of money to go on structured weekends for this very purpose. On the Sabbath, we experience time in a new way. . . . Taking a bath, making a change of clothes, setting the table decoratively, responding to the schedule of the sunset rather than the timepiece — these are aids to the difficult task of changing spiritual gear. ‘Six days shall you labor and do all your work’ (Ex 20:8). The sages of the tradition humorously ask: Is it possible for a human being to do all his/
her work in six days? To which they answer: Rest on the Sabbath as if all your work were done. This capacity to shift one’s mental and spiritual state from doing to being is the crux of the Sabbath program.” (Found in Anthony Castle’s “More Quips, Quotes & Anecdotes for Preachers and Teachers.” The best way for me to savor summer — and not waste it — is to list things that would make this season enjoyable and different from the rest of the year. A peek at my list shows visits to a number of new restaurants, especially those with outdoor seating; several day trips, including one to the Oz Museum in Wamego; a couple of SportingKC games and a few musical or theatrical productions; and riding that streetcar in Kansas City, Missouri. What activities would calm your mind and body this summer? Liguori Publications’ “5001 Simple Things to Do for Others (and Yourself)” offers these suggestions: stargaze, wake up early to watch the sunrise, take a nature hike, visit a cemetery, have a water balloon fight, read a book, doodle, go on a retreat, visit relatives, shop at a farmers’ market, buy lemonade at a kids’ stand and memo-
rize a new prayer. With that last suggestion in mind, let’s ask God’s blessing on our summertime with this prayer from the Marquette University website: “Loving God, Creator of all times and places, we thank you for the gift of summertime, the days of light, warmth and leisure. “Thank you for the beauty that surrounds us everywhere we look: the multicolored flowers, the deep blue of the sky, the tranquil surface of lakes, the laughter of children at play, people strolling in parks, families gathered around picnic tables and the increased time to spend with family and friends “As we open our eyes and ears to the landscape of nature and people, open our hearts to receive all as gift. Give us that insight to see you as the Divine Artist. . . . And warm our souls with the awareness of your presence. “Let all the gifts we enjoy this summer deepen our awareness of your love, so that we may share this with others and enjoy a summertime of re-creation. Amen.” That’s all, folks! See you here in a couple of weeks!
Our most common prayer invokes the Trinity
ypically, we Catholics begin prayer by making the sign of the
cross. In a similar way, when we enter the church building, we usually pause at the holy water font to dip our hand in it to make the sign of the cross. That action reinforces and reminds us of our baptism. It draws on the words spoken at the moment of our baptism: “In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” We hear those words addressed by Jesus to the apostles in Sunday’s Gospel reading, Mt 28:16-20. He is commissioning them to continue his work on earth, as he
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.
leaves them to ascend into heaven. That work will involve
POPE FRANCIS
While taking selfies can be an occasion to capture treasured memories, it can also be a sign that young men and women are deprived of meaningful human interaction with others, Pope Francis said. Responding to questions May 14 at a meeting with 1,700 priests and lay leaders of the Diocese of Rome gathered at the Basilica
spreading the good news of salvation and teaching those who accept that message on how to live it out. And it will involve the sacrament of baptism to seal the deal, so to speak. In commissioning the apostles, Jesus supplies them with the formula that they are to use in administering that
sacrament, the words that we echo in making the sign of the cross. But those words do so much more than simply fulfill the requirement for the sacrament to take effect. The words also describe what happens to us in the sacrament of baptism. We are immersed in God, into the fullness of God’s reality — that is to say, God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. That is the mystery we celebrate this weekend on Trinity Sunday. Just as baptism lies at the core of our being as Christians, the mystery of the Holy Trinity lies at the core of our faith. It is so close to us, so much a part of us, that we might easily overlook it. This solemnity draws
of St. John Lateran, the pope said he realized the negative social implications of technology a few days earlier when he was greeting teens participating in a program of the international network of Scholas Occurrentes. “They were all there waiting for me,” he said. “When I arrived, they made noise, as young people do. I went to greet them and only a few gave their hand. The majority were with their cellphones (saying), ‘Photo,
our attention to it. That is why we invoke the Holy Trinity when we begin prayer. That is why the word structure of the prayers in our liturgy reflects our belief in the Holy Trinity. In the liturgy, prayer is directed to the Father, through the Son, with the Holy Spirit. All three divine persons are involved. Each person has a part to play, not the same as the others. When we make the sign of the cross, our words echo the words of our baptism and remind us of that sacrament. At the same time, those words underline the importance of the Holy Trinity in our lives of faith.
photo, photo. Selfie!’” “I saw that this is their reality, that is the real world, not human contact. And this is serious. They are ‘virtualized’ youths,” the pope continued. “The world of virtual communication is a good thing, but when it becomes alienating, it makes you forget to shake hands.” — CNS
MAY 25, 2018 | THELEAVEN.ORG
COMMENTARY
Adoption act ensures robust, diverse adoption network
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his past Friday, I had the opportunity to defend innocent human life while also standing strong for religious freedom. Working with the Kansas Catholic Conference, Kansans for Life, Catholic Charities and other Kansans of good will, the Kansas Legislature passed — and I signed — the Adoption Protection Act. Today, crisis pregnancy centers, parish priests, adoption agencies and other organizations provide key resources to women considering abortions. The Adoption Protection Act will ensure that we protect a robust and diverse adoption network for Kansas women making difficult decisions while ensuring those organizations with sincerely held religious beliefs are
GUEST COMMENTARY GOV. JEFF COYLER Jeff Coyler is the 47th governor of Kansas.
not discriminated against as they work to provide loving homes for children in need. Why is this bill necessary, some might ask? Well, unfortunately, Catholics know too well that religious freedom is under assault across this country. Catholic Charities’ adoption services has been shut down in other states like Massachusetts and Illinois for refusing to violate their sincerely held religious beliefs. While this action would never be tolerated
“
“WITHOUT THIS LAW, A FUTURE ADMINISTRATION COULD EASILY AMEND REGULATIONS TO TRAMPLE ON CATHOLIC CHARITIES’ OR OTHER FAITHBASED ORGANIZATIONS’ SINCERELY HELD RELIGIOUS BELIEFS.” under my administration, without this law, a future administration could easily amend regulations to trample on Catholic Charities’ or other faithbased organizations’ sincerely held religious beliefs. As Catholics, we understand more than most that discrimination of any kind is unacceptable. Catholic nuns and laypeople were some of the most prominent participants marching with Martin Luther King in
Selma. Catholic hospitals provide for much of the charitable care in this country to all comers. Catholic bishops speak forcefully for the most vulnerable — the unborn. Catholic Charities and Catholic food pantries serve the poor, the sick and infirm in every state in this country. In my own medical practice, I serve people of any and all faiths and background. We live our faith by serving others in our daily lives.
Service to others and commitment to nondiscrimination is the foundation of the Adoption Protection Act. There are over 1,300 children awaiting adoption in Kansas. We need more adoptive families, not fewer. We need to protect the religious freedom rights enshrined in the First Amendment to ensure that people of faith can continue to practice their faith in the public square. In closing, like many Catholics, I was inspired to engage in the public square as a response to the injustice perpetrated against the unborn with the Roe v. Wade decision of 1973. The Adoption Protection Act is an important piece of legislation as we continue to make Kansas a place where we respect life, we respect our neighbor and we serve those in need.
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Were you married in 1968?
Archdiocesan 50th Wedding Anniversary Celebration Church of the Nativity/Leawood, KS June 10, 2018 at 2 p.m. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann invites couples celebrating their 50th Wedding Anniversary in 2018 to a Golden Anniversary Mass in their honor with reception following.
To receive your invitation from Archbishop Naumann, please call the Marriage & Family Life Office at (913) 647-0345.
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Want to help someone heal from an abortion? Call or text 913-621-2199
MAY 25, 2018 | THELEAVEN.ORG
LOCAL NEWS
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MEET AUSTIN: A GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING “There are hundreds of Austins throughout our archdiocese, waiting for someone to take a small interest in them, to make them want to succeed.”
Austin Edwards and Jill Ragar Esfeld have known each other since Austin was in elementary school. Over the years, they have been an important part of each other’s lives.
By Jill Ragar Esfeld jill.esfeld@theleaven.org
A
ustin Edwards was 9 years old when I met him — and he looked like a football player even then: stocky and strong. I was a volunteer at Community LINC in Kansas City, Missouri — a transitional program for homeless families to which Austin’s mom had just been admitted. I ran the Tuesday evening children’s group. And the first time Austin walked into my room, I was trying to control the mayhem created by a rowdy bunch of elementary-school-aged kids. They were out of school for the day and full of energy, producing a loud cacophony I expected this new boy to join in on. But Austin surprised me. I will never forget the way he stood looking around the room like a disgruntled grandpa in a child’s body. He walked quietly to the far corner, sat down at a table alone and pulled a worn notebook out from under his arm. He put the notebook on the table, bowed his head within two inches of it, curled his left hand around a stubby pencil and started sketching with quick, furtive movements. Within seconds, he was oblivious to everything but that notebook and pencil, cocooned in his own world, pouring his imagination out on that paper. I remember thinking to myself, “This kid will never play football.” Like a truck driver doing ballet, Austin is always the last person you expect to have the sweet, gentle demeanor that is second nature to him, to be an artist. I soon learned that art was his coping mechanism in a world that often seemed out of control. It was his gift from God, keeping him grounded, no matter what happened to him or around him. When I met Austin, he liked to ask people what superpower they wanted. Then he would draw them as an anime figure displaying that power. His drawing would be in perfect perspective, even though he didn’t know the meaning of the word. Austin has progressed remarkably since then. Last fall, he was one of only a few selected students featured in a juried art show on Missouri Western’s campus in St. Joseph, Missouri. This spring, he graduated from the School of Arts with a degree in illustration. I am honored to say I played a small part in his life. The part he played in mine is beyond measure. It would require a book to tell Austin’s story, but I hope I can share enough
PHOTO BY JILL RAGAR ESFELD
Austin Edwards graduated from Missouri Western University in St. Joseph this spring from the School of Arts with a degree in illustration. here to convey how important simple relationships can be. He and his mother eventually got a home in the urban core through Habitat for Humanity, and his mother found work that enabled her to meet her family’s basic needs. But it was never easy, and she battled many difficulties over the years, including cancer. I stayed close to Austin, attending his school functions and helping celebrate his little milestones. We would often go to lunch or dinner, grab a coffee, visit the art gallery or hang out at a park. When he was ready for high school, with financial help, Austin was able to attend Bishop Miege in Roeland Park. This Catholic community truly embraced him — though they were disappointed he didn’t want to play football. From his time at Bishop Miege, I can give you a little window into Austin’s determination to succeed. Every day, his mom would drop him off at school early in the morning on her way to work. After school, Austin would take the city bus home. That meant walking several blocks with a backpack full of heavy books and waiting for a bus; riding a first bus and then transferring to another; waiting again, then taking
the second bus as far as he could; and then finally walking the rest of the way home. This took Austin two hours, and he did it every day, in heat and rain and snow, because he wanted that education. Every Tuesday evening, Austin would come with me to Community LINC, where he volunteered in the same homeless program he was part of years before. He worked every summer, saving his money for college. Once in college, he worked nights in the residence hall, studied when he could and attended classes during the day. In all the years I’ve known Austin, I have never once heard him complain about his situation. I love this kid and I’m very proud of what he’s become. I think I played a little part in encouraging him and helping him along the way. Without me, he would have succeeded, but not as easily. And I would be so much poorer without him in my life. The average age of a homeless person is 9 — the age Austin was when I met him. There are hundreds of Austins
PHOTO BY JILL RAGAR ESFELD
Young Austin, despite his size, never showed much interest in football, preferring to concentrate on drawing. throughout our archdiocese, waiting for someone to take a small interest in them, to make them want to succeed. They are Christ waiting for you to reach out to them; they are the heart of God waiting to reach out to you.