09 23 16 Vol. 38 No. 7

THELEAVEN.ORG | VOL. 38, NO. 7 | SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED

Where else would a nationally known TV and radio host and college president run into an aspiring psychiatrist like Angelica Perez but in the halls of Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kansas?

Founded by the Benedictine Sisters of Atchison, Donnelly has been educating first-generation college students since 1949.

Join The Leaven and Angelica Perez for a day in the life of a Donnelly College freshman STORY BY MOIRA CULLINGS PHOTOS BY JAY SOLDNER WE’RE BACK

Summer is officially over for The Leaven. We are back on our weekly schedule.

K

ANSAS CITY, Kan. — At 18 years old, Angelica Perez is practically bursting with dreams for her future. An aspiring psychiatrist, her academic career only starts with college. With med school next, Angelica is in it for

the long haul.

As Angelica prepared to graduate from Bishop Miege High School in Roeland Park this past spring, she knew that the close family feel and Catholic identity she enjoyed at Miege was what she wanted for her college experience.

“I really enjoyed Miege,” said Angelica. “I knew everyone and all the teachers. . . . I really like smaller groups and smaller class sizes.”

And she needed a college that she could afford.

FAITHFUL CITIZENS

The bishops of Kansas delivered a message via video to help guide voters in this election.

Page 3

Fortunately, she discovered a Catholic college — practically in her own backyard — whose small class sizes seemed tailor-made for her. It was a place where students who struggled financially were not an afterthought, but the very reason the college was founded — to increase access for students like her to affordable Catholic higher education.

In fact, she discovered a college that had been the launching pad for generations of area students toward a four-year degree — many of them the first in their family to even attend college.

Angelica discovered Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kansas.

As the youngest of three girls — by about 15 years — Angelica is very close to her dad Ernesto and mom Maura. She and her folks are members of Good Shepherd Parish in Shawnee. So >> See “GIRL” on page 8

REFLECTIONS

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI looks back on his pontificate in a new book.

Page 16

SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

W

2

In choosing presidents, we choose judges, too

hile at World Youth Day this summer, several Europeans expressed their wonderment about the quality of our candidates in the upcoming presidential election. They asked me: “Are these the best leaders America is able to produce?”

Several individuals, whom I admire and respect, have said that they will not vote for either candidate from our two major political parties. Frankly, they find both of them too flawed. In my lifetime, I do not recall a presidential election where so many Americans found the choices so unattractive.

I sympathize with those who have come to the conclusion they will not vote for either candidate. They find their defects of such magnitude that they do not want to contribute to their election. It is a dilemma with which many are grappling.

Personally, I feel an obligation to discern which candidate might do the least damage and which candidate, despite their weaknesses, has the potential to do the most good for our nation and world. While we may be troubled by serious leadership and policy defects in both candidates, to refrain from voting will be a missed opportunity to help our nation to select the best person between our available options. After all, life is filled with imperfect choices.

The Kansas bishops have produced a video in which we offer our reflection on the responsibility of Catholics as citizens and, more particularly, as voters.

In the video, we offer

“

LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS ARCHBISHOP JOSEPH F. NAUMANN guidance by highlighting principles of Catholic social teaching as well as identifying what we consider the most morally significant issues facing our nation, state and local communities.

In the video, we consider the importance of such issues as abortion, the protection of life, marriage, religious liberty, immigration reform, access to health care, concern for the poor and care for the environment.

We also point out the increasing role judges have assumed in determining public policy on such fundamental issues as abortion, the definition of marriage and the protection of conscience rights and religious liberty. Some judges have chosen to decide important social issues by inventing rights not found in the Constitution. They have disenfranchised Americans by usurping the responsibility of our elected representatives to determine public policy in these crucial areas.

We challenge Catholics not to allow selfinterest to determine their voting choices, but rather to seek to contribute to the common

good. I urge you to view our video which can be accessed either on our archdiocesan website at: www.archkck.org, or the Kansas Catholic Conference website at: www. kscathconf.org.

In my opinion, one of the most significant responsibilities of the president is the appointment not only of Supreme Court justices, but all federal judges. Since more and more public policy issues are being decided by the courts — not the Congress or the state legislatures — the selection of judges has become extremely important.

The U.S. Supreme Court, just a little more than a year ago, redefined marriage, striking down the vast majority of state constitutions and legislation that recognized marriage as it has been understood for millennia between one man and one woman.

More recently, the U.S. Supreme Court declined in late June to hear a case in which the state of Washington was compelling privately owned pharmacies to provide so-called emergency contraceptives that function as abortifacients.

The case involved a pharmacy, owned and operated by a devoutly Christian family, who objected to providing

MASS OF INNOCENTS H

ave you or someone you know lost a child or loved one during pregnancy or in early infancy? If so, Archbishop Naumann invites you to commemorate this loss at a Mass on . . .

Sunday, Oct 2, 3:30 p.m.

Cure of Ars Parish in Leawood This annual Mass gives parents, grandparents, siblings, or other loved ones the opportunity to receive consolation whether the loss was recent or many years ago.

FOR QUESTIONS CONTACT BRAD DUPONT AT 913.647.0301.

I FEEL AN OBLIGATION TO DISCERN WHICH CANDIDATE MIGHT DO THE LEAST DAMAGE AND WHICH CANDIDATE, DESPITE THEIR WEAKNESSES, HAS THE POTENTIAL TO DO THE MOST GOOD FOR OUR NATION AND WORLD. their customers with the means for a chemical abortion. There are over 30 pharmacies within a five-mile radius providing emergency contraception. Anyone who desired this product had easy access to procure it. However, the court determined to force these Christian pharmacists to violate their deeply held religious convictions.

Chief Justice Roberts, Justice Thomas and Justice Alito all dissented from the majority opinion of the Supreme Court. In his dissent, Justice Alito stated: “This is an ominous sign. . . . If this is a sign of how religious liberty claims will be treated in the years ahead, those who value religious freedom have cause for great concern.”

On June 21, the Skagit County Superior Court ruled that public hospitals in the state

of Washington must perform abortions if they also offer maternity care, even if all of the hospital’s doctors and other medical staff conscientiously object to performing abortions.

The president also appoints the members of his Cabinet, who often interpret legislation by developing regulations that do not always reflect the intent of Congress. A prime example of this is the Health and Human Services mandates that are part of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. With these mandates, the administration is attempting to force the Little Sisters of the Poor, as well as many other religious employers, to include in their employee health plan abortifacient drugs, contraceptives and sterilizations.

On June 21, the Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights declared, contrary to the plain meaning of current federal law, that California’s Department of Managed Health Care may continue to force private health plans to cover elective abortions.

This summer, private Catholic colleges received a letter from the Department of Education, threatening the loss of federal financial aid for their students, unless these colleges allowed transgender students to use whatever locker room or bathroom they preferred.

Just in the last week, Martin Castro, who was appointed in 2011 by the president to serve as the chairman of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, stated that religious liberty and religious freedom are “code words for discrimina-

ARCHBISHOP NAUMANN Sept. 23 Blue Mass — Mater Dei, Topeka Sept. 24 Sesquicentennial anniversary Mass — Holy Angels, Basehor Sept. 25 Commissioning of Father Mitchel Zimmerman as chaplain — St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center at KU Sept. 26-28 Priest convocation — Conception Seminary Sept. 30 Catholic Radio fall radiothon

tion, intolerance, racism, sexism, homophobia, Islamophobia, Christian supremacy or any form of intolerance.” Mr. Castro essentially was attempting to silence anyone who objects to the current administration’s assaults on religious liberty and conscience rights by calling them bigots.

The president of the United States exercises enormous power by his or her appointments to the court, the Cabinet and federal agencies and commissions.

Remember: In choosing a president, we are also choosing judges as well as bureaucrats who will interpret legislation by the manner in which they choose to implement it.

During these weeks, we need to pray for our nation. Pray that we may choose wisely those that we will empower to govern and lead our country.

SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

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Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann heads up an all-bishop cast as the bishops of Kansas outline for Catholics their responsibilities as faithful citizens in this election year through a video. Joining Archbishop Naumann are, from left: Bishop Carl A. Kemme of the Diocese of Wichita; Bishop John B. Brungardt of the Diocese of Dodge City; and Bishop Edward J. Weisenburger of the Diocese of Salina.

ELECTION REFLECTION

Kansas bishops offer election year guidance

By Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org

K

ANSAS CITY, Kan. — The bishops of Kansas want Catholics to know that citizens of heaven have earthly responsibilities, too — including faithful citizenship.

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, Bishop John B. Brungardt of the Diocese of Dodge City, Bishop Carl A. Kemme of the Diocese of Wichita, and Bishop Edward J. Weisenburger of the Diocese of Salina spoke about the moral aspects of voting in a recently released video produced by the Kansas Catholic Conference.

The video can be viewed in Spanish and English.

“Just as living a Christian life involves much more than going to church on Sunday, so responsible citizenship requires more than simply voting on Election Day,” said Archbishop Naumann.

Voting, which is a crucially important duty of citizens, should always be taken very seriously.

“When we vote, our choices must never be reduced to a mere calculation

Publication No. (ISSN0194-9799) President: Most Rev. Joseph F. Naumann

“

“EACH OF US HAS A MORAL OBLIGATION TO WORK TOWARD THE COMMON GOOD. OUR VOTE SHOULD ALWAYS BE CAST IN FAVOR OF WHAT IS BEST FOR SOCIETY.” Bishop Edward Weisenburger of self-interest,” said Bishop Weisenburger. “Each of us has a moral obligation to work toward the common good.

Our vote should always be cast in favor of what is best for society.”

But what should be the basis of our political choices?

“Many of the political issues being debated today can and should be considered in the light of Catholic social teaching,” said Bishop Brungardt.

“This is not to say that Catholics need always arrive at the same conclusions about what policies are best, but our political preferences should be shaped

by the application of Catholic moral principles to current circumstances.”

As examples, the bishops said all Catholics should work to ensure all — and especially the poor — have health care. The Catholic voice also needs to be heard in the debate over immigration policy.

“Catholics should recognize the need for good stewardship of the environment, so that future generations can enjoy the gifts of God’s creation,” said Bishop Kemme.

The bishops also said that there must be a “special emphasis” on issues where Catholics must speak with a unified voice — issues that directly contradict church teaching, natural law and the good of society.

“In our country, over one million unborn children are killed by abortion every single year,” said Bishop Brungardt. “All Catholics have a moral obligation to keep this human rights catastrophe at the forefront of their minds when voting.”

Catholics must also be aware of the proliferating attacks on religious freedom.

“More and more, government agencies are attempting to punish individuals and institutions that adhere to

Editor Rev. Mark Goldasich, stl frmark.goldasich@theleaven.org

Production Manager Todd Habiger todd.habiger@theleaven.org

Reporter Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org

Managing Editor Anita McSorley anita.mcsorley@theleaven.org

Senior Reporter Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org

Advertising Coordinator Beth Blankenship beth.blankenship@theleaven.org

WATCH THE VIDEO

To view the Kansas bishops’ faithful citizenship video in English or Spanish, go online to: www.kscathconf. org.

the truth that marriage can only be between a man and a woman, and that every child deserves a mother and a father,” said Archbishop Naumann.

Not all issues are settled in the legislative and executive branches.

“Catholics should also consider the critical role that judges increasingly play in deciding issues like abortion, marriage and religious freedom,” said Bishop Kemme.

Citizens are left with no recourse by judges and unelected officials who take debates about these issues out of the democratic process and decide them for themselves.

“It is thus absolutely essential that we have judges who respect the right to life and marriage as a covenant between one man and one woman, and who will protect religious freedom and rights of conscience,” said Bishop Weisenburger.

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.

SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

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Marriage of your dreams is within your grasp

K LEAVEN PHOTO BY JOE BOLLIG

Modeling the quilts they gave to the residents and patients are: (front row, from left) Jo Dicken, Thomas Jones and Margie Jones; (second row, from left) Maddie Woodard, Mary Crouch, Linda Soetaert, Barb Lawrence and Shirley Kissell; and (third row, from left) Joyce Schranz, Marge Meyer, Marilyn Rapplean and Mayme Easton. The quilters are comprised of parishioners of Divine Mercy Parish in Gardner and St. Paul Parish in Olathe.

Handmade quilts touch hearts

By Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org

G

ARDNER — Every once in a while, Thomas Jones pulls on the ol’ red suit and stands in for Santa Claus when Christmas comes around.

Recently, however, he ditched the St. Nick shtick and helped out some special “quilting elves” make a special gift delivery to the Meadowbrook Rehabilitation Hospital in Gardner.

On Aug. 8, Jones and members of the quilting clubs at Divine Mercy Parish in Gardner and St. Paul Parish in Olathe delivered 75 lap quilts to patients and residents at Meadowbrook.

The inspiration to donate the quilts came when Jones stayed at Meadowbrook for a period of rehabilitation in March 2015. Later, he was sent home for further convalescence.

“My husband was very thankful for all the help by the occupational therapists,” said Margie Jones. “They had come to our house to make sure he could function at home. They saw a picture of him dressed up as Santa and asked if he could come to play Santa at the rehabilitation place in December.”

Margie Jones talked with a relative about how nice it would be if something could be done for the residents and patients at Meadowbrook, and the idea of lap quilts came up.

They also decided not to wait until December.

Using her contacts, Margie Jones — who is a quilter herself — got in touch with the quilting groups at the two parishes and proposed the idea.

The quilters agreed to take on the project.

Two of the quilters who participated were the grandmother/granddaughter team of Mary Crouch from St. Paul Parish and Maddie Woodard from Queen of the Holy Rosary

Parish in Wea. It was Crouch who recruited her granddaughter into the quilting circle, but they’re both enjoying the shared activity.

“This is fabulous,” said Crouch.

“I like it,” said Woodard.

And both the residents and the patients loved their quilts, which they were invited to select themselves.

Patient William Kidwell chose a blue quilt to match his blue Kansas City Royals shirt.

“So much intricate work went into this quilt,” said Kidwell. “Me and my wife one time made a quilt.

I know it takes a long time to make a quilt.”

Patient Lloyd Wollard received a red, black and white quilt to go with his red, black and white Kansas City Chiefs ballcap. Was he trying to make a fashion statement?

“No,” said Wollard. “I just like red.”

ANSAS CITY, Kan. — One of the biggest lies of all time is this: You can’t have the marriage of your dreams.

People often believe this lie and settle for less, according to Brad and Libby DuPont, consultants with the archdiocesan marriage and family life office.

To help couples attain that “dream marriage,” the marriage and family life office will offer the “Everyday in Love” marriage workshop, a series of four sessions, 9 a.m. - noon, on Oct. 8, 15, 22 and 29 at the Church of the Ascension, 9510 W. 127th St. in Overland Park.

“Don’t just have a good marriage,” said Brad DuPont. “Have an outstanding marriage.”

The four morning workshops will be given by national speakers and retreat masters Ron and Kathy Feher. The Fehers are co-directors of the Pastoral and Matrimonial Renewal Center in Philadelphia. “[The series] offers practical skills and simple strategies to empower every married couple to live the marriage of their dreams,” said Brad DuPont.

Since no one session depends on another, there’s no problem if a couple can’t come to all the sessions. The sessions are: • Oct. 8: Smart Loving — How to love smarter, not harder, by prioritizing being in love • Oct. 15: The Passionate Couple — How to move from “just getting along” to passionate love, and how to bridge the gap between how men and women achieve intimacy • Oct. 22: Communicating with a purpose — How to achieve an emotional connection, reconcile hurt feelings and free oneself from outside pressures • Oct. 29: Living the Dream — Learn a foolproof process to help couples come together on any issue. Avoid arguments and unleash deep respect.

The cost is $10 per couple, per session. Child care is available on a limited basis. To register, go online to: www. archkck.org/everyday. For information or questions, contact Brad or Libby DuPont in the marriage and family life office by email at: bdupont@archkck. org or by calling (913) 647-0301.

Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas • Catholic Bequests

• Donor Advised Funds

• Gift Annuities

• Named Scholarship Funds

• Endowments

• Memorial Funds

Remember a gift to the church in your will

(913) 647-0325 CFNEK@archkck.org www.cfnek.org

SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS Jody (Powers) and Frank Adams, members of Church of the N a t i v i t y, Leawood, will celebrate their 65th wedding anniversary with their family. The couple married on Oct. 1, 1951, at Blessed Sacrament Church in Kansas City, Missouri. Their children are Kathy and Bill. They also have seven grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Bill and Darlene (Shump) Kuhlman, members of St. Bede Parish, Kelly, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Sept.

4. The couple was married on Sept. 3, 1966, at Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Seneca. Their children are: Tim Kuhlman, Rick Kuhlman and Sherri Routh. They also have seven grandchildren.

Bernard and Suzanne Dierks, members of St. Ann Parish, Prairie Village, celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary on Aug. 9 with a family dinner.

The couple was married on Sept.

10, 1966, at St. Theresa Church in Des Moines, Iowa.

Their children are: Christopher, Angela and Michael. They also have five grandchildren.

Mark and Joan (Lickteig) Rockers, members of St. Boniface Parish, Scipio, will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on Sept.

25 with a family dinner and open house at the Scipio Knights of Columbus Hall from 2 – 4 p.m. The couple was married on Sept. 25, 1956, at St. Therese Church, Richmond. Their children are: Chris Rockers, Kansas City, Missouri; Dan Rockers, Sacramento, California; Peg Mechnig, Garnett; and Mary Blomquist, Eagle, Colorado.

They also have 13 grandchildren.

Eileen (Fenoughty) and Herschel Keitel, members of Good Shepherd Parish, Shawnee, will celebrate their 60th anniversary on Sept.

29. The couple was married on Sept.

29, 1956, at St. Philip Neri Church, Osawatomie.

Their children are: Cindy Carter, Terri Doty and Mary Sue Keitel.

They also have eight grandchildren and one great-grandchild. To celebrate their 60th anniversary, they went to Orange Beach, Alabama, in June with their family. They will have another celebration with family in September.

Parish to host art competition and Oktoberfest

By Marc and Julie Anderson mjanderson@theleaven.org

T

OPEKA — Art is at the heart of a new twoday fundraiser at Most Pure Heart of Mary Parish here.

And if Stone’s Folly Art Fair and Oktoberfest Celebration to be held on the parish grounds on Sept. 30 and Oct. 1 is successful, it might become an annual event.

The event hopes to attract at least 50 to 70 artists. Organizers Tim Bauer and Tom Elwood, at the suggestion of Elwood’s late wife Jane, are inviting artists to enter the contest through ZAPPlication, a website where artists can submit images of their work to multiple fairs and shows nationwide.

The fair will ensure the art remains family-friendly, by having artists and vendors submit images for consideration before they are accepted.

But art won’t be the only entertainment available for fair-goers. A four-piece jazz quartet, a folk group and a German polka band will be among the musical offerings. The Krische Craft Fair, children’s games, a beer garden, German food, a raffle for a Harley Davidson and an auction for the fair’s signature painting, the only known artist’s rendering of Stone’s Folly, will round out

O

Statement concerning Father Chris Rossman

n Friday morning, Sept. 9, officials of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas received a report that one of its priests had visited inappropriate internet websites. Since the report alleged websites depicting minors, the archdiocese immediately notified the FBI to investigate the allegation, and law enforcement has initiated an investigation.

In accord with archdiocesan procedures, the priest in question, Father Chris Rossman, pastor of Annunciation Church in Baldwin City and St. Francis of Assisi Church in Lapeer, has been suspended from ministry, pending the outcome of in-

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vestigations by law enforcement and the archdiocese.

The archdiocese will continue to cooperate fully with law enforcement as they investigate this allegation and will provide additional comment after the police complete their investigation.

The archdiocese asks anyone who has knowledge of inappropriate conduct by any priest, deacon, employee or volunteer to please contact the confidential report line at (913) 647-3051 to make a report to Jan Saylor, archdiocesan report investigator; go online to: www.archkck.org/ reportabuse; or call law enforcement directly.

Sister celebrates diamond jubilee in Dubuque, Iowa

D

UBUQUE, Iowa — Sister Marie Neff, a Sister of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, celebrated her diamond jubilee on Sept. 11, at the Mount Carmel motherhouse chapel here.

Sister Marie was born in Kansas City, Missouri. She later became a member of St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee, and entered the

K E A T I N G Mud Jacking FOUNDATION REPAIR

the event.

The signed 24-inch by 36-inch painting by Bauer includes pigment he made using fragments from the mansion ground into powder. And his subject is a structure that once stood on the grounds of Most Pure Heart.

When Topekan Erastus Stone started construction on Stone’s Castle — a three-story, 18-room residence in 1887 — he planned for it to be “the finest mansion in Kansas,” but an economic downturn and drought left him unable to finish construction.

Known as “Stone’s Folly,” the home was sold to the American Bible Society and remained vacant until 1900 when the Rev. Charles Fox Parham used it as a gathering place for the Pentecostal faith.

In 1901, the home burned down.

Today, the parish rectory stands on the site.

Bauer said the painting and planning has inspired in him a sense of “soft evangelism.”

“We’re not out to convert anyone, but if something touches them through the Holy Spirit, that’s a beautiful thing,” he said.

“And if we touch just one person, then it’s all worth it,” he added.

For more information, visit the website at: www.stonesfollyartfair. com.

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v Patios v Drives v Garage Floors v Slab Houses Lawrence (785) 865-0006

Topeka (785) 246-0128

BVM congregation on Sept. 8, 1946.

She professed first vows on March 19, 1949, and final vows on Aug. 15, 1954. Sister Marie taught elementary school and was principal in Wichita; Kansas City, Missouri; San Francisco and Petaluma, California; and Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska. She is retired and lives in Dubuque.

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OBITUARY

Sister Regina Erbacher, SCL

L

EAVENWORTH — Sister Regina Erbacher, a member of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth for 69 years, died Sept. 4 at the motherhouse here.

Mary Regina Erbacher was born on Dec. 25, 1928, in Topeka, one of seven daughters of Leo A. and Mary Loretta (Stenger) Erbacher. She graduated from Immaculate Conception High School in St. Marys. She entered the religious community of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth on Aug. 14, 1947, and, as Sister Mary Leon, made her profession of vows on Aug. 15, 1949. She later returned to the use of her baptismal name. Sister Regina received a bachelor’s degree in elementary education and a master’s in elementary administration from Saint Mary College, Leavenworth, and a master’s in Christian spirituality from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska.

Sister Regina was an educator who served as both teacher and principal of elementary schools across the West and Midwest, spending many years in Topeka.

She served as the pastoral associate at Holy Name and Our Lady of Guadalupe in Topeka and was director of spiritual formation and the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults at Curé of Ars Parish in Leawood.

She retired to the motherhouse in 2008.

‘Rome-ward’ bound

O

n Sept. 10, Abbot Gregory Polan, OSB, of Conception Abbey in Conception, Missouri, was elected abbot primate of the 1500-year-old Benedictine order at the Congress of Abbots meeting in Rome.

That means he will be stepping away from his current responsibilities as abbot of Conception — which included teaching some of our archdiocesan seminarians at Conception Seminary — in order to lead some 7,000 Benedictine monks worldwide from his new role as abbot of the monastery Sant’Anselmo in Rome.

Watch for more on Abbot Gregory — and Abbot Gregory what his former stuPolan, OSB dents make of their professor being “Rome-ward” bound — in an upcoming issue of The Leaven.

College seeking tutors

D

onnelly College in Kansas City, Kansas, is seeking persons who are interested in being teachers or tutors for inmates at medium and minimum security facilities in Leavenworth.

For more information, call Steven Jensen at (785) 842-1549 or send an email to him at: sjansen@donnelly.edu.

SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

WORKERS thein VINEYARD

TOOLS FOR FAMILIES Growing as Disciples of Jesus

Go-to guy gives back to his parish

77 times a day!

C

hildren give us so many opportunities to teach forgiveness, don’t they? Try this formula to help them forgive well and grow in compassion: • I’m sorry for ___. It must have made you feel ___. Next time I will ___.

Please forgive me!

• I forgive you.

It works for couples, too!

ARTWORK BY NEILSON CARLIN, 2015

— By Libby DuPont

WEBSITE EXCLUSIVE

CHURCH OF THE WEEK

Sacred Heart, Mound City Address: 729 W. Main St. Phone: (913) 795-2724 Pastor: Father Shawn Tunink Mass Time: Saturday, 6:30 p.m.

Email: stunink@gmail.com Website: http://www.stphilipnerioz.org/Sacred_ Heart.php MORE PHOTOS AND A VIDEO TOUR of this church can be seen online at: www.theleaven.org.

WEBSITE EXCLUSIVE

TEAM OF THE WEEK

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In the famous parable, some came early and some came late. But the wages for all were everlasting life. Are you toiling in the Lord’s vineyard yet?

Join us here every week to meet one of the folks The Leaven has discovered hard at work building the kingdom — sometimes in the most unusual ways.

P

AOLA — Bob Gregory surveys the new tile floors at Holy Trinity School here and smiles. He can’t help but feel a little pride.

This summer, Gregory — a member of Holy Trinity Parish in Paola — and a team of people laid the new tile. In the end, because of the time crunch to complete the floor, the project cost Gregory the summer vacation he had planned to Virginia, but it was worth it.

“I went to school here. My kids went to school here. I feel like this is my way of giving back to the parish for the support they gave me over the years,” Gregory said.

Gregory has become the go-to guy for getting things done at Holy Trinity Parish. But it didn’t happen overnight.

For years, Gregory was a self-described “Sunday” Catholic, until he was encouraged by former pastor Father Keith Lunsford to get more involved.

He wound up on the parish council.

Later, he and his wife became a marriage prep lead couple for a while. When Father Ric Halvorson became pastor, he asked Gregory to chair the building and grounds committee.

Around the time Father Halvorson left, Gregory retired and suddenly he had the time — and, more importantly, the desire — to take on more for his parish.

When they want something done at Holy Trinity Parish in Paola, Bob Gregory is the man they call.

“I’ll move bulletin boards for the teachers,” Gregory said.

“Today, they have an electrical outlet that’s not working. We have cafeteria tables that have feet that are marking our new floors, so I’ll fix them. It’s just those little odds and ends.”

Before he retired, Gregory was a project manager for a mechanical company. He puts those skills to work when it comes to the big projects.

And, he stresses, that this isn’t something he does alone.

“There are a half dozen guys

that come here and help me whenever I call on them,” he said.

It’s working with a team of people on projects that benefit the church that provides Gregory with the greatest sense of satisfaction.

“A fun day is when a bunch of us are here working together,” he said. “When you have a few friends working and having fun, it’s all worth it.”

Story by Todd Habiger Photo by Lori Wood Habiger

Retreat house to host special Mass Oct. 2

Bishop Miege girls tennis

Head coach: Andrew Groene Next match: Sept. 26, 1 p.m., at St. Thomas Aquinas

ONLINE

• VIDEO REPORT: Learn more about the Bishop Miege girls tennis team with Todd Habiger’s Team of the Week report.

• PHOTOS: Check out Doug Hesse’s photo gallery from the recent Miege vs. Mill Valley varsity matchup.

All this and more can be found online at: www.theleaven.org.

K

Leavenworth. “I was amazed to ANSAS CITY, Kan. — find that it was as close as it was While she was living and had been there for so many in Chicago, Shelly years! I booked a cabin immediSommerfield used ately.” to go on annual reThe trees, silence and treats to withdraw from daily space were just what she stresses and be still in the needed for contemplapresence of God. tion, spiritual renewal, But then she moved growth and healing. away from Chicago “There are so many and her favorite relovely places to go on treat location. the grounds for private Last summer, while and peaceful stillness,” grieving over the loss said Sommerfield. “The of a loved one, Somkind compassion promerfield felt the need vided by director Vince to go on a retreat — but Vince Eimer where?

Eimer, and a listening “I looked online and was thrilled ear, healthy meals eaten together to find Christ’s Peace House of or to picnic in solitude — and all Prayer,” said Sommerfield, who atelse — make this my new retreat.” tends the Frontier Chapel at Fort Catholics across the archdio-

cese are invited to experience that same peace and contemplation by attending Christ’s Peace House of Prayer’s annual thanksgiving Mass at 11 a.m. on Oct. 2. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann will be the main celebrant and homilist.

The Mass is an occasion to thank donors and patrons, and give people a chance to see the ministry of the archdiocesan retreat center.

The Mass will be followed by a lunch and an opportunity to tour the grounds and the cabins.

The lunch is free, but Eimer asks people to contact Christ’s Peace so they can get a count. The retreat center is located at 22131 Meagher Rd., Easton.

To contact Eimer, call (913) 7738255, or send an email to: Info@ ChristsPeace.com.

Hurting from abortion?

MEMORIAL FOR UNBORN CHILDREN, MARTIN HUDACEK, 2010

FREE, CONFIDENTIAL, NONJUDGMENTAL HELP

www.ProjectRachelKC.com 913.621.2199 or projectrachelkc@archkck.org

LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED

It’s a typical Tuesday morning for 18-year-old Angelica Perez, who finishes brushing her hair before loading her backpack for the day. Her day, which will include both classes at Donnelly and volunteer work in the evening, started off with a traditional Mexican meal of fried plantains.

FAN CLUB

Angelica says her mom Maura and dad Ernesto are her greatest inspiration, “because they work so hard for what they have and that makes me want to work really hard for my goals and what I want to achieve in life.”

GIRL ON FIRE:

First-generation college student finds help, hope at Donnelly College percent of associate degree graduates go on to pursue four-year degrees. when Angelica found just what she was Now, with the help of her Bloch schollooking for so close to home, her parents arship and Donnelly College, Angelica is were delighted. working toward a career in a field that is Angelica threw herself into the applicaexpected to see a serious shortage in the tion process and wound up being awarded future. When she completes her studies, the school’s prestigious Angelica plans to return Bloch scholarship, covto practice in the area in ering 100 percent of her order to give back to the To learn more about Donnelly tuition. very community that has College, go online to: donnelly.

The Bloch scholargiven so much to her. edu and search “quick facts.” ship will make it posTo celebrate students sible for Angelica to like Angelica — and For more information on the attend Donnelly, then the unique college that college’s SHINE event, visit the transfer to the Univermakes their stories possiwebsite at: shinedc.weebly.com. sity of Missouri-Kansas ble — Donnelly will host City after two years to its 10th annual SHINE complete a four-year event on Oct. 8 at Arrowdegree, with her tuition head Stadium North Club at 6 p.m. (See completely covered. To be eligible, she had box for more details.) only to live in the area, have a good GPA, But today is Angelica’s day to shine right experience financial need and be a citizen here in The Leaven. So join reporter Moira or permanent resident of the country.

Cullings and photographer Jay Soldner as And the Bloch scholarship is only one they present a day in the life of Donnelly of many offered at Donnelly, where 95 College freshman Angelica Perez. >> Continued from page 1

HIGH NOON

Noon arrives and Angelica is off to her second class of the day, biology, with professor Joseph Multhauf. The class is comprised of only 18 students, which makes for optimal teacher/student interaction and hands-on learning experiences.

FRIENDLY FACES

Two of the main reasons Angelica chose Donnelly was because of its Catholic identity and accessible and Yoseline Palmas Perez (foreground) run into Father John Melnick, SSA, vice president of spirituality

STRING THEORY

Today’s biology class features a simple experiment: Students are given a string into which they tie knots and then color, an activity designed to teach about proteins. Although math and science are Angelica’s favorite subjects, she enjoys all of her classes at Donnelly, due in part to its emphasis on tangible learning.

HOMEWAR

Angelica’s parents one she will have spare time to study

EARLY BIRDS

Angelica runs into Koral Calderon at the library at 8:30 a.m., even though their first class, microcomputer essentials, doesn’t start until 9:25. Angelica makes a point to arrive early so she can catch up on any work required for her jam-packed 17-hour schedule.

faculty. Here, she and classmates Jonathan Moya y and mission at Donnelly, and share a laugh.

RD BOUND

HEAD OF THE CLASS

Angelica heads to computer class with professor Jaime Fuentes and 17 of her classmates. The class, more like a discussion than a lecture, provides an intimate learning setting, one of many features in which the college takes pride.

STUDY BREAK

With over an hour before her next class, Angelica and Jonathan Moya meet with Ta Ehpaw Gaw, left, a sophomore who helps freshmen with their schedules and goal-setting. When she’s not studying with a group, Angelica often takes advantage of the tutors on hand during this free time.

pick her up after class to bring her home for a three-hour break, the only until she goes to bed that night. After eating lunch, Angelica uses her y and catch her breath before launching into the second half of her day.

GIVING BACK

Shawnee Mission Medical Center is the next stop for Angelica, where she has volunteered on the mental health floor for more than a year. There, she greets patients and their families, and continually gains insights on what her future could be like as a psychiatrist, her dream job.

FINISHING STRONG

After about two-and-a-half hours of volunteering, Angelica heads home to have dinner with her parents and get one more burst of studying in before heading to bed. There’s never a dull moment in Angelica’s schedule, but aspirations of a life full of helping people keep her fueled and focused.

SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 | THELEAVEN.ORG

CLASSIFIEDS EMPLOYMENT 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.

Career opportunity - Due to the success and growth of the Knights of Columbus, we are adding a financial representative in the Kansas City metro, Atchison and Topeka area. Ideal for a determined, high energy, high expectation, professional, self-disciplined, independent individual desiring to serve others, yet earn a better than average income. We provide top-rated financial products to our members and their families and will provide excellent benefits and training. This is a full-time position. Please contact John A. Mahon, general agent, for more information or an interview at 1275 Topeka Blvd., Topeka, KS 66612 or call (785) 408-8806. You can also send an email to: john.mahon@kofc.org.

Service technician – A small biomedical company is seeking a service technician to service microscopes in a fourstate area which includes cleaning, repairing, adjusting, testing and troubleshooting. A qualified candidate must be mechanically inclined; electrical knowledge a plus. We are looking for someone who is enthusiastic, customer service-oriented, detail-oriented, flexible, dependable, mature, personable and have an interest in the science field.

They must also have dependable transportation. Up to 50% travel. Email resume to: Yourcareer101@gmail.com.

Internal support staff – A small biomedical company is seeking sales support for director of sales, and inside support for service technicians, to provide excellent customer service answering phone calls and emails. Knowledge of Microsoft Windows, filing, shipping and receiving. We are looking for an individual who has a good attitude and is organized, personable, communicates well and able to multitask.

Email resume to: Yourcareer101@gmail.com.

Director of music - Immaculate Conception Parish in Springfield, Missouri, is seeking a full-time director of sacred music. Responsibilities include: planning, preparing and executing music for Sunday and weekday school liturgies; training and instructing our choirs and cantors. Must be a strong organist with a proven choral background. Must be a practicing Catholic; a degree in music or liturgical music is preferred. A complete job description with instructions for application can be found on the parish website at: http://ic-parish.org (click on the director of sacred music icon) or call the parish office at (417) 887-0600.

Catechesis of the Good Shepherd catechists - St. Michael the Archangel in Leawood is seeking certified Level I (3-6) Catechesis of the Good Shepherd catechists immediately.

The department is seeking Level II (6-9) catechists as part of its program expansion. These are paid part-time positions.

Qualified applicants should send an email to Diane Jones at: CGS@stmichaelcp.org or call (913) 402-3941.

Three teaching positions - Prince of Peace Early Education Center in Olathe is looking for three afternoon teachers. One position is from 3:30 - 6 p.m. M - F in a two-year-olds room and is perfect for high school students who are 16 years or older. The other positions are from 2 – 6 p.m. with 3-yearolds and school age. You must love children to apply. We have a friendly work environment. Previous child care experience preferred, but not necessary. This is a perfect opportunity for early childhood/elementary education majors.

Contact Amanda at (913) 829-2728.

Teaching position - St. Ann Young Child Center in Prairie Village is seeking to fill the following position for the 20162017 school year. An after-school teacher to work Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. We are also looking for substitutes. Competitive pay. Great environment to work in. For more information, call Tati at (816) 716-4676.

Teachers and assistant teacher - The Goddard School in Olathe is seeking a preschool teacher, a pre-kindergarten teacher and a toddler teacher — all full-time positions — as well as an assistant teacher for multiple classrooms.

Lead and assistant teachers work together. Daily responsibilities are: developing lesson plans; meeting the individual needs of the children; communicating with parents; participation in staff and training meetings; designing appropriate room arrangement to support the goals and development level of the children in the classroom; interacting with the children to support play, exploration and learning; presenting expectations that are appropriate to the child’s age and developmental level; plan and implement activities that develop self-esteem and social skills; communicate appropriately and professionally with parents and fellow staff; building teamwork; use assessment tools; and commit to continuing education. To apply, email a resume and cover letter to: olathe2ks@goddardschools.com.

Drivers - Assisted Transportation is now hiring caring and reliable drivers to transport K-12 students to and from school and other activities in company minivans. Positions are now available in Olathe, Overland Park and Kansas City, Kansas.

Competitive wages and flexible schedules. CDL not required.

Retirees encouraged to apply. Call (913) 262-3100 or apply online at: AssistedTransportation.com. EEO

Development officer - School of Love is seeking a parttime development officer who will be responsible for leading, managing and executing the fundraising initiatives that support its mission, programs and resources.

The development officer will work with and report to the executive director, and will advise and manage the individuals or committees related to fund development. The development officer will help plan and maintain an ongoing major gifts campaign by: cultivating relationships, holding meetings and soliciting charitable gifts from benefactors and corporations. He or she will help set, implement and oversee a wider plan of current and new fundraising activities including: network mailers and e-newsletters, annual electronic and phone fundraising campaigns, and a limited number of social and fundraising events. The ideal candidate is a faithful Catholic in good standing who has experience in fundraising for an organization, program or personal support (preferred, two years), who has the combination of work ethic, flexibility and humor to work in a small organization, and who is motivated, positive, and who has excellent people skills and communication skills. For more on School of Love, visit the website at: www.schooloflovekc.com.

To apply, email cover letter, resume and salary requirements to: mike@schooloflovekc.com.

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.

Client Experience Coordinator - Wellington, a full-service event management and marketing company, is looking for a Client Experience Coordinator to assist with the production of extraordinary events for clients of all sizes. The CEC frequently acts as the face of the company, being the first person to greet guests and direct client, partner and vendor phone calls. They are a personable, structured and disciplined individual who is able to handle high-pressure situations. Because they juggle numerous projects and tasks at any one time, the CEC must have the ability to multitask and complete a variety of tasks quickly — without sacrificing accuracy and attention to detail. Applicants may apply online at: http://www.wellingtonexperience.com/careers/.

Agua Fina Irrigation and Landscape The one-stop location for your project!

Landscape and irrigation design, Installation and maintenance.

Cleanup and grading services It’s time to repair your lawn. 20% discount on lawn renovations with mention of this ad.

Visit the website at: www.goaguafina.com Call (913) 530-7260 or (913) 530-5661

Special operations technician - Divine Mercy Radio, located in Hays, Kansas, seeks a full-time special operations technician to perform a variety of duties associated with running a radio station. Candidate with knowledge of computer hardware and server security will be a plus. Must embrace the mission of Catholic radio. For a complete job description go to: dvmercy.com. To apply, send resume, including references and a cover letter, to: Divine Mercy Radio, 108 E. 12th St., Ste. #1, Hays, KS 67601. Divine Mercy Radio, Inc., is an equal opportunity employer.

Parish accountant – St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Leawood is seeking a part-time accountant. Responsibilities include financial reporting, payroll (including 401(k) and benefits), electronic payment processing, budgeting, expense allocation and assistance with the annual stewardship drive.

A qualified candidate will possess strong interpersonal and organizational skills, advanced Excel and database skills, three years of recent, hands-on experience with payroll and benefit software systems, and at least an associates degree in business or accounting. See complete job description and contact information under Employment Opportunities at: www.stmichaelcp.org.

Accounting manager – The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is seeking an individual for its accounting team for the accounting office. This position is responsible for all aspects related to cash receipts and disbursements, working closely with human resources in the administration of payroll, and stewardship and development in the administration of appeal receipts. Ideal candidate will be a practicing Catholic in good standing; have four to six years of fund accounting experience, including areas of accounts receivable and payable; be proficient at data input and analysis; and demonstrate effective communication skills, as well as written and verbal skills. Position requires a bachelor’s degree in accounting, public accounting experience preferred. A complete job description, application and benefits information are available on the archdiocese’s web site at: www.archkck.org/ jobs. Interested individuals should mail cover letter, resume, and application by September 27 to: Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, Office of Human Resources, Accounting Manager Search, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109, or send via email to: jobs@archkck.org.

Groundskeeper - Catholic Cemeteries is seeking an individual for a full-time groundskeeping position, hours Monday through Saturday. This position requires heavy lifting. Must be physically fit; experience operating construction equipment would be a plus. Must be a fast learner and flexible on hours. Interested individuals should contact Matt Wirtz at (913) 371-4040.

Development director - Didde Catholic Campus Center at Emporia State University, Emporia, is looking for a development director who will be responsible for leading and managing the fund development program; raising funds for the center and programs; managing funds for the center and programs; and managing all committees involved in fund development activities. For more information on the Didde Center, this position and how to apply, visit the website at: www.petreusdevelopment.com/jobs.

Coordinator of youth ministry - St. James Catholic Church in Liberty, Missouri, is searching for a new coordinator of youth ministry. The position is full time, based upon 40 hours per week. The parish offers a comprehensive benefits program, including medical, dental and vision plans, STD/ LTD fully paid by the employer, retirement plans including a 403(b) plan, and a defined benefit pension plan. Paid time off includes generous vacation and sick leaves, plus paid holidays. The coordinator of youth ministry must be committed to, focused on, and fulfill the spiritual and personal development of every youth by assisting them to embrace God’s love so they can live out their faith in prayer, service, evangelization, discernment and love. The position will lead 6th- to 12thgrade youth into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. To apply, go to the website at: https://careers.hireology.com/ thecatholicdioceseofkansascitystjoseph/78432/description.

Drivers needed - Medi Coach Transportation is looking for caring and reliable drivers for nonemergency transportation.

CDL is not required. Contact Jeff at (913) 825-1921.

SERVICES

Mike Hammer local moving - A full-service mover.

Packing, pianos, rental truck load/unload, storage container load/unload, and in-home moving. No job too small. Serving JoCo since 1987. St. Joseph, Shawnee, parishioner. Call Mike at (913) 927-4347 or send an email to: mike@mikehammermoving.com.

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.

Faith-based counseling to cope with life concerns - Kansas City area. Call Mary Vorsten, licensed clinical professional counselor, at (913) 909-2002.

12

Masonry work - Quality new or repair work. Brick, block and chimney/fireplace repair. Insured; second-generation bricklayer. St. Paul Parish, Olathe. Call (913) 829-4336.

DRC Construction We’ll get the job done right the first time.

Windows - Doors - Decks - Siding Repair or replace, we will work with you to solve your problems. Choose us for any window, door, siding or deck project and you’ll be glad you did.

Everything is guaranteed 100% (913) 461-4052 www.windowservicesoverlandpark.com drcconswindows@gmail.com Local handyman and lawn care – Water heaters, garbage disposals, toilets, faucets, painting, power washing, doors, storm doors, gutter cleaning, wood rot, mowing, carpet, roofing, etc. Member of Holy Angels Parish, Basehor. Call Billy at (913) 927-4118.

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 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.

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. KIRK AND YEYO PAINTING Whole house painting Wood rot repair, affordable Only premium paint used Licensed and insured (913) 927-5240, nelsport@everestkc.net Detail construction and remodeling - We offer a full line of home remodeling services. Don’t move — remodel! Johnson County area. Call for a free quote at (913) 709-8401.

Cleaning lady - Reasonable rates; references provided.

Call (913) 940-2959.

House Painting Interior and exterior; wallpaper removal.

Power washing, fences, decks.

30 years’ experience. References. Reasonable rates.

Call Joe at (913) 620-5776.

Tutoring - Private individual or small group tutoring: test prep, study skills, reading, fluency, math, other.

Professional educator with doctorate degree. Call or text (913) 710-9109 or send an email to: drheatherhamtil@ gmail.com.

HARCO Exteriors LLC Your Kansas City fencing specialists Family owned and operated (913) 815-4817 www.harcoexteriorsllc.com

Custom upholstery - Don’t throw out that dining room chair, recliner, sofa, etc. Reupholster it and make it new.

Repair wood frames, do custom builds. Upholstery craftsperson with years of experience. Free estimates.

Call Aaron at (913) 271-0599.

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.

The GO GO Girls - Now have time available for new clients. Maybe you aren’t driving as much, or at all; we can help. If you need to GO to the doctor, dentist, hairdresser, barbershop, grocery store, etc., let us know. If you don’t want to GO yourself, we can run your errands for you. We will GO to your home, if you need someone to sit with a loved one, while you get away. Contact us at (913) 4696211 or (816) 806-0564 to discuss your needs. Johnson County area only.

Custom countertops - Laminates installed within 5 days.

Cambria, granite, and solid surface. Competitive prices, dependable work. Call the Top Shop, Inc., (913) 962-5058.

Members of St. Joseph, Shawnee.

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.

Clutter getting you down? - Organize, fix, assemble, install! “Kevin of all trades” your professional organizer and “Honey-do” specialist. Call today for a free consultation at (913) 271-5055. Insured. References. Visit our website at: www.KOATINDUSTRIES.com.

Rodman Lawn Care Lawn mowing, aeration, verticutting.

Hedge trimming, mulch, leaf removal.

Fully insured and free estimates.

John Rodman (913) 548-3002

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) 252-1391 NELSON CREATIONS L.L.C. Home remodeling, design/build, kitchens, baths, all interior and exterior work. Family owned and operated; over 25 years experience. Licensed and insured; commercial and residential. Kirk and Diane Nelson.

(913) 927-5240; nelsport@everestkc.net

STA (Sure Thing Always) Home Repair - Basement finish, bathrooms and kitchens; interior & exterior repairs: painting, roofing, siding, wood replacement and window glazing. Free estimates. Call (913) 491-5837 or (913) 579-1835. Email: smokeycabin@hotmail.com. Member of Holy Trinity, Lenexa.

Kansas City’s Premier Deck, Fence & Concrete - We repair, power wash and stain wood decks and fences. We power wash and seal concrete drives, walkways, pool decks and more. Call Brian at (913) 952-5965. Member of Holy Trinity Parish.

CAREGIVING Looking for high quality home care? - Whether you’re looking to introduce care for your family or simply looking to improve your current home care quality, we can help. Our unique approach to home care has earned us a 99% client satisfaction rating among the 1,000-plus families we have assisted. We are family-owned, with offices in Lenexa and Lawrence. Call Benefits of Home Senior Care, Lenexa: (913) 422-1591 or Lawrence: (785) 727-1816 or www.benefitsofhome.com.

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.

“Lynn at Heart” - 24 years’ experience in all types of private care. Excellent references. 24/7, shift or respite care. In-home, assisted living, nursing home, companionship, light housekeeping, meal prep, transportation, ADLs, care management, hospice. Greater KC area. Call (913) 707-0024. Ask for Mark.

Personalized care - Experienced, specializing in dementia, medication setup and activities of daily living.

Excellent references. Contact Andrea at (913) 548-1930. >> Continued on page 13

SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 | THELEAVEN.ORG

CALENDAR PRAIRIE STAR UNDER THE STARS Prairie Star Ranch 1124 California Rd., Williamsburg Sept. 24 at 10 a.m.

High school youth groups and all families are invited to Prairie Star Ranch for a spiritual campout experience. Encounter Christ through a variety of activities including gaga ball, canoeing, archery and the climbing tower. Finish the day by stargazing and camping overnight in the outdoors. For more information, visit the website at: www. archkck.org/ranch or call (785) 746-5693.

SLOVENEFEST Holy Family Church (Msgr. Mejak Hall) 513 Ohio Ave., Kansas City, Kansas Sept. 24 from 5 - 10 p.m.

The event begins with Mass at 4 p.m. Following Mass, there will be a traditional Slovenian dinner, silent auction, mega-money raffle, children and adult games, Lasko Pivo, and a cultural booth and souvenirs. There will also be music and dancing featuring the Brian McCarty Band and Hrvatski Obicaj. For more information, call (913) 371-1561.

ANNUNCIATION CHURCH PICNIC Cigna Center 402 N. Maple, Frankfort Sept. 25 from 4 - 7 p.m.

The cost of the roast beef dinner is $10 for adults; $5 for children ages 10 and under.

Takeout meals will be available (with delivery in Frankfort) by calling (785) 292-4351 the day of the dinner, or the parish office during morning hours at (785) 292-4462. There will also be a pot-of-gold, cakewalk, bingo, church poker, quilt raffle, children’s games, train rides and a large inflatable slide.

This event includes live music by the Festhaus Musikanten band, authentic German food and activities for children. There will also be a variety of German beers.

THE ELDERS IN CONCERT Holy Angels Parish 15440 Leavenworth Rd., Basehor Sept. 24 from 7 - 9:30 p.m.

Holy Angels Parish will host a free, open to the public, concert of The Elders as part of the grand celebration of its 150th jubilee.

The Elders plays a style of music rooted in Americana and Celtic folk rock. Seating and dancing area will be provided in the east parish parking lot. For more information, call (913) 724-1665.

10TH ANNUAL OUR LADY & ST. ROSE GOSPEL CHOIR CONCERT 2300 N. 8th St., Kansas City, Kansas Sept. 25 at 3 p.m.

Cost of this event is a freewill offering.

PRAIRIE STAR RANCH FAMILY DAY Prairie Star Ranch 1124 California Rd., Williamsburg Sept. 25 from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Prairie Star is hosting its semiannual Family Day. Spend your day in outdoor activities and exploring our lakes and 300 acres of woods and prairie lands. Make a day of joyful memories centered upon Christ. For details and registration information, visit the website at: www.archkck.org/ranch or call (785) 746-5693.

20TH ANNUAL FELLIN LECTURE Benedictine College Campus (O’Malley-McAllister Auditorium) 1020 N. 2nd St., Atchison Sept. 25 at 7:30 p.m.

Ellen K. Boegel, a lawyer, author and associate professor at St. John’s University in New York, will speak on “Who Needs Immigration Laws?” Her presentation will feature stories that will highlight various aspects of immigration. The event is free and open to the public.

A turkey or ham dinner will be served. There will be entertainment, a silent auction, a country store and games for all ages. There will also be two different raffles: one for a high efficiency Trane heating and cooling system and a cash raffle. For more information, call (913) 772-2424.

Find principles to help form consciences, contribute to civil and respectful dialogue and shape political choices in the upcoming election in light of Catholic teaching. Come hear the Catholic principles that foster democracy and share in some reflections and discussions, presented by Sister Barbara McCracken, OSB. (There is no charge, but donations are welcome.) For more information or to register, call (913) 360-6173 or visit the website at: www.sophiaspiritualitycenter.org.

Archdiocesan Catholics are invited to take part in the pro-life Forty Days for Life campaign. This year, participants will provide prayer and witness. For information and to participate, call Sally Kutney at (913) 6099635 or Wendy Curtis at (816) 765-9477; send an email to: fortydayskc@gmail.com; or visit the website at: www.40daysforlife. com/overlandpark.

HOMECOMING MASS Dorney Field (Ward Stadium) 715 N. 16th St., Kansas City, Kansas Sept. 30 at 10 a.m.

Bishop Ward High School would like to invite alumni and friends to the annual homecoming Mass. All are invited to attend and celebrate the Eucharist as Ward welcomes all alumni back home. For more information, send an email to Greg Duggins at: gduggins @wardhigh.org or call (913) 371-6901.

CATHOLIC CHARISMATIC RETREAT Sanctuary of Hope 2601 Ridge Ave., Kansas City, Kansas Oct. 1 at 8:30 a.m. — Oct. 2 at noon

All are welcome to attend this retreat beginning Saturday morning and ending Sunday with a noon Mass. The theme is “Living God’s Mercy and Love.” For more information, call (913) 649-2026.

OKTOBERFEST St. Pius X Church 5500 Woodson Rd., Mission Oct. 1 from 5:30 - 9 p.m.

Dinner includes homemade German food.

German wines and beers will be available for purchase. The Alpen Spielers Band plays from 6 - 9 p.m. There will be a silent auction and a dance. The cost to attend is: $15 in advance ($20 at the door); $5 for children ages 6 - 12; and free for children ages 5 and under.

For more information, call Marisa Snook at (913) 244-5732; send an email to marisa.r. snook@gmail.com; or call the parish office at (913) 432-4808.

FALL BAZAAR St. Boniface - Scipio 32292 N.E. Norton Rd., Garnett Oct. 2 from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.

There will be a roast beef or chickenand-noodle dinner. The cost is: $9 for adults; $5 for kids 10 and under; and $10 for carryout.

There will also be bingo, face painting, raffles, a country store and crafts. For more information, call Mary Carol at (785) 248-6917.

>> Continued from page 12 Companion care - Retired nurse will do what needs to be done. $15/hour. References available. Call (913) 579-5276.

Caregiving - For your loved one. Cheerful, experienced, empathetic. Excellent local references. Call Vivian at (913) 292-4829.

CNA, Home Health Care Professional - Provides TLC in the comfort of the client’s residence. Budget friendly.

Available 24 hours, or part time. Excellent references.

25 years of Seasoned Experience. Nonsmoker. Call (816) 806-8104.

FOR SALE

FORMING CONSCIENCES FOR FAITHFUL CITIZENSHIP Sophia Spirituality Center 751 S. 8th St., Atchison Sept. 25 from 1 - 4 p.m.

FORTY DAYS FOR LIFE Center for Women’s Health 4840 College Blvd., Overland Park Sept. 28 - Nov. 6 from 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.

OKTOBERFEST St. John the Evangelist Parish 1234 Kentucky, Lawrence Sept. 24 from 4 - 10 p.m.

FALL FEST Sacred Heart-St. Casimir Parish 1405 2nd Ave., Leavenworth Oct. 2 from 11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.

13

Residential lifts - Buy/sell/trade. Stair lifts, porch lifts, ceiling lifts and elevators. Recycled and new equipment. Member of St. Michael the Archangel Parish, Leawood. Call Silver Cross KC at (913) 327-5557.

For sale - Resurrection Cemetery mausoleum: Queen of the Holy Rosary Patio, Tier C, two-burial crypt with entombment. Current value: $12,255; will sell for $10,000. Call (913) 648-7097.

FALL BAZAAR St. Theresa Church 209 3rd St., Perry Oct. 2 from 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

A turkey and ham dinner, plus homemade pie, will be served. The cost is $9 for adults; $4 for kids 10 and under. Carryout meals are available. There will be games for kids, a silent auction, bingo, a cakewalk, baked goods and a country store.

TAIZE PRAYER Annunciation Chapel 4200 S. 4th St., Leavenworth Oct. 6 at 7 p.m.

Persons of all Christian traditions are invited to participate in Taize prayer. Taize prayer is a meditative, candlelit service that includes simple chants sung repeatedly, silence and prayers of praise and intercession. These prayer services emerged from an ecumenical community of monks in Taize, France. For more information, visit the website at: www. marillaccenter.org or call (913) 680-2342.

WARD ALUMNI GATHERING Johnny’s Tavern 13131 Shawnee Mission Pkwy., Shawnee Oct. 6 at 6 p.m.

Join area Bishop Ward High School alumni at the fall Cyclone gathering in the back of Johnny’s Tavern for food, fellowship and fun.

For more information or to RSVP, send an email to Greg Duggins at: gduggins@ward high.org or call him at (913) 371-6901.

For sale - At Mount Calvary Cemetery, Kansas City, Kansas. Tandem crypt in mausoleum. Today’s selling price is $7,035; offering this space for $5,000. Call Marcie at (913) 712-8124.

FOR RENT Shared office space - Sublet/share, fully furnished office space. College and Metcalf location. One large spacious office available that could easily accommodate executive and assistant. Shared conference room, break room, copier and phone system. Perfect for CPA, attorney or other professional executive. Call Mark at (913) 707-0024.

WANTED TO BUY Will buy firearms and related accessories - One or a whole collection. Honest evaluation and top prices paid. Contact Tom at (913) 238-2473. Member of Sacred Heart Parish, Shawnee.

Wanted to buy - I’m Mark Edmondson, a local parishioner at Holy Trinity, and I buy and sell houses in any condition. If you have a house “situation,” call me. I might have a solution for you. (913) 980-4905.

Wanted to buy - Antique/vintage jewelry, lighters, fountain pens, post card collections, paintings/prints, pottery, sterling, china dinnerware.

Renee Maderak, (913) 631-7179.

St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee

VACATION For rent - The Villages of Florida cottage home. Two BD (king and queen), 2BA, study/office and lanai. 55 and older community. ourhome4rent.com. House ID: 3754.

Free Wi-Fi. Monthly or two-week rental. Call Joan at (913) 449-5109.

ROSARY RALLY FOR OUR NATION Mater Dei Parish-Assumption Church 8th & Jackson, Topeka Oct. 9 at 2 p.m.

Father Tom Hesse, along with other area and regional priests, will lead the rosary rally. It will start at the church and continue around the grounds of the state Capitol, concluding with eucharistic Benediction at the church.

In case of inclement weather, the rosary will be prayed in the church.

PANCAKE LUNCHEON St. Mary Church 446 Hwy. 137, Purcell Oct. 9 from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

We will be serving pancakes, whole hog sausage, scrambled eggs, homemade pie and tea or coffee. A freewill offering will be accepted.

Wagner’s Mud-Jacking Co.

Specializing in Foundation Repairs Mud-jacking and Waterproofing.

Serving Lawrence, Topeka and surrounding areas.

Topeka (785) 233-3447 Lawrence (785) 749-1696 In business since 1963 www.foundationrepairks.com

FALL BAZAAR AND DINNER St. Aloysius Church 615 E. Wyandotte St., Meriden Oct. 9 from 11:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.

Turkey and ham dinner with all the trimmings will be served. The cost is: $9 for adults; $4 for kids ages 5 - 12; free for kids ages 4 and under; and $9 for carryout meals.

There will also be a country store, games, money drawings, a beer garden, bingo, raffles, a silent auction and an ice cream stand.

For more information, call the parish office at (785) 484-3312.

1615 North Street, Seneca, KS 66538 Just a few miles away from St. Mary Church in St. Benedict, Kansas Pilgrimage Rate of $85.99 for 2 adults (785) 336-3663 www.altenhofeninn.com Please mention this add to receive special rate

SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 | THELEAVEN.ORG

COMMENTARY TWENTY-SIXTH WEEK OF ORDINARY TIME Sept. 25 TWENTY-SIXTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Am 6: 1a, 4-7 Ps 146: 7-10 1 Tm 6: 11-16 Lk 16: 19-31 Sept. 26 Cosmas and Damian, martyrs Jb 1: 6-22 Ps 17: 1bcd, 2-3, 6-7 Lk 9: 46-50 Sept. 27 Vincent de Paul, priest Jb 3: 1-3, 11-17, 20-23 Ps 88: 2-8 Lk 9: 51-56 Sept. 28 Wenceslaus, martyr; Lawrence Ruiz and companions, martyrs Jb 9: 1-12, 14-16 Ps 88: 10b-15 Lk 9: 57-62 Sept. 29 MICHAEL, GABRIEL AND RAPHAEL, ARCHANGELS Dn 7: 9-10, 13-14 Ps 138: 1-5 Jn 1: 47-51 Sept.30 Jerome, priest, doctor of the church Jb 38: 1, 12-21; 40: 3-5 Ps 139: 1-3, 7-10, 13-14b Lk 10: 13-16 Oct. 1 Thérèse of the Child Jesus, virgin, doctor of the church Jb 42: 1-3, 5-6, 12-17 Ps 119: 66, 71, 75, 91, 125, 130 Lk 10: 17-24

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T

Don’t keep this advice so hush-hush

hose old enough to remember Herman’s Hermits will no doubt recognize these lyrics: “There’s a kind of hush all over the world tonight.”

The song was a hit for the group in 1967 and later for the Carpenters in 1976. It’s what I imagine the planet would sound like if the advice from the following story were ever taken to heart.

A little boy once ran indoors from school and called out eagerly, “Oh, Mother, what do you think of Tom Jones? I just heard that . . .”

“Wait a minute, my boy,” interrupted the mother. “Have you put what you heard through the three sieves before you tell it to me?”

“Sieves, Mother?

What do you mean?” asked the boy.

“Well, the first sieve is called Truth. Is what you’re going to tell me true?”

“I don’t really know,” replied the son, “but Bob Brown said that Charlie told him that Tom . . .”

Again, the mother interrupted and said, “That’s very roundabout.

What about the second sieve, Kindness. Is what

W

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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.

you’re going to tell me kind?”

“Kind!” exclaimed the boy. “No, I can’t say it’s kind.”

“Now the third sieve, Necessary. Will it go through that? Must you tell this tale?”

“No, Mother,” sighed the son, “I need not repeat it.”

“Well, then,” said the mom. “If it’s not necessary, not kind, and perhaps not true, let the story die.”

The version above is adapted from “The Children’s Story Garden,” stories collected by a committee of the Philadelphia

Yearly Meeting of Friends in 1920. Sadly, it doesn’t appear we’ve made much progress in the almost 100 years since this story was printed.

Remember these three golden questions: Is it kind?

Is it true?

Is it necessary or helpful?

If we asked ourselves these questions before speaking, there would certainly be a lot less said and much less nastiness unleashed in the world.

And if we then applied those questions to what we post on social media, probably the thing we’d see the most on Facebook would be recipes!

I’m not sure that the world is markedly worse than in 1920, but, with the ease and anonymity of internet posts, we’re much more aware of what dwells in people’s minds

and hearts. It’s as if there are no longer any filters — or sieves — online, and that uncharitable harshness has oozed out into the real world.

A simple remedy, especially for those of us who are Christians, is to ask those three questions — is it kind? true? helpful? — before communicating with one another.

Did you ever notice that the words “silent” and “listen” have the same letters? I don’t think that’s just a coincidence. The two go together.

Most of us, however, are so busy mindlessly blabbing our opinions that we rarely hear, let alone actually listen, to one another. Our interactions have turned into a cacophony of chaos and cattiness.

There are, though, examples of what life could be like if we change our daily habits even a little. Pastor Jay Kesler, of Upland Community Church in Indiana, once questioned an “Outstanding Trooper” recipient about what the governor said to him privately during the ceremony.

The trooper replied, “He said, ‘You haven’t once roughed up a drunk or used excessive force on anyone. How can you be a state trooper for 15

years, dealing with the stuff you deal with, and have that happen?’”

“Two things,” the trooper replied. “First, if I am called to break up a fight at a tavern, I never say to myself, ‘There’s a drunk.’ I always say to myself, ‘There’s a man — someone’s husband, son, neighbor — who got drunk.’ I try to think of him as a man, not a crime.

“Secondly, the Bible says that a soft answer turns away wrath. So whenever I walk up to the window of an automobile, I always speak a little softer than the person I’m speaking to.” (Found in “1001 Illustrations That Connect,” edited by Craig Brian Larson and Phyllis Ten Elshof.)

Now that’s great advice: Think of someone as a person first, not as a political party, a minority, a particular religious group or an action. Then, speak a little softer than the person you’re speaking to. These two things flow naturally from those three golden questions of: Is it kind? Is it true? Is it helpful?

Try out these behaviors this week in your verbal and online communication and watch a “hush of kindness” spread all over the world.

Jesus puts twist on familiar story

hen retelling a story or joke, we often tweak it a bit, to fit the situation.

Sometimes when preaching, I will borrow a story or joke, but always adapt it so that it helps me to make the point of my homily.

Maybe I will acknowledge recent events. Or perhaps I will take into account the audience that I am addressing.

Jesus possibly did the same thing. At times, the parables that he told could have been based upon real-life events. At other times, he might have been inspired by an existing story to tell his own. In that case, he would still have adapted it to make it fit his message.

POPE FRANCIS

THE GOSPEL TRUTH

FATHER MIKE STUBBS Father Stubbs is the pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Overland Park and has a degree in Scripture from Harvard University.

Sunday’s Gospel reading, Lk 16:19-31, offers us a good example. Jesus tells the parable of the rich man and

Do not treat evangelization as a simple mechanical task or a reason to brag, Pope Francis said. People who boast about preaching the word of God, he said, “reduce the Gospel to a mere task or a badge of honor: ‘I go and evangelize, and I brought lots of people into the church.’ To proselytize, that

the poor man Lazarus.

When they die, their fates are exchanged.

Lazarus enjoys paradise, while the rich man is sent to hell.

Stories involving a reversal of fortune in the afterlife were fairly common in the Near East. There are examples in Jewish and Egyptian literature of such stories, where the poor man receives happiness,

while the rich man suffers extreme pain. For Jesus to tell such a story in itself is not strikingly original.

On the other hand, this parable does fit in well with the emphasis in Luke’s Gospel on the poor and the corresponding challenge to the wealthy.

In addition, the story is tweaked in such a way as to reflect its Christian context.

This comes out in the concluding line: “If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.”

In Luke’s Gospel, the audience that Jesus addresses in telling the parable is made up of his opponents. The concluding line of the par-

too is a source of pride. To evangelize is not to proselytize. That is, it is not a walk in the park either,” the pope said Sept. 9 during morning Mass in the chapel of the Domus Sanctae Marthae.

Christians have a duty to share the faith, he said, but they should be motivated by a feeling “from the heart” of an urgent need to bring Christ to others. True evangelization is

able implies that they, like the brothers of the rich man in the parable, do not listen to Moses and the prophets.

In that case, similarly, neither will they be persuaded even if Jesus rises from the dead.

Their lack of belief in Jesus’ resurrection will simply continue their lack of real belief in Moses and the prophets.

This distinctive twist to the story makes it a weapon aimed at Jesus’ opponents, besides its basic point about the value of the poor in God’s eyes, compared to the wealthy and powerful.

Once again, Jesus is making the most out of the story, so that it fits his message.

about one’s approach, a “style” of freely and humbly accompanying those in need and helping people grow in their journey of faith, the pope said. It is being a living witness of Christ by concretely helping others without too much talk, if any, he said.

— CNS

SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 | THELEAVEN.ORG

COMMNETARY

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Teamwork and talent ensure help for kids in need

t is hard to believe, but when you read this article the new school year will have been in session for six weeks.

As the school year starts anew, so does our Catholic Education Foundation’s fiscal year.

So, to get this fiscal year started off on the right foot, I want to introduce you to the CEF staff.

Last year, the CEF’s traditional scholarship program provided funds totaling more than $1.3 million for 1,492 students at 20 schools.

This year, CEF will award more than $1.4 million for more than 1,500 students at 21 schools.

Funding for these scholarships come from 14 revenue streams,

A

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CEF CENTERED

including grants from foundations and donations from more than 1,000 individuals.

CEF’s website, social media channels and newsletters are designed to share the impact of those 1,500plus scholarships with the community that makes them possible.

Erica Kratofil, grants

MICHAEL MORRISEY Michael Morrisey is the executive director of the Catholic Education Foundation. You can reach him at (913) 647-0383 or send an email to him at: mmorrisey@archkck.org.

and marketing manager, helps relay those stories through CEF’s print and digital com-

munications. Erica, who has been with CEF for five years, also oversees the grant funding stream for CEF. Laurel Sharpe joined the CEF team in January.

As director of events, she works with all event sponsors and donors while facilitating and managing the planning and execution of all CEF fundraising events.

CEF’s signature event, Gaudeamus, has sold out for the past two years and has made The Independent journal’s list of top events in Kansas City for five years in a row, coming in at number three this year! CEF Futures Art Event at the Boulevard Brewery has sold out for the past four years. Both of these events com-

bined provide over $1 million in scholarships annually for children facing poverty in our community to attend Catholic school.

We look forward to adding a third event to our lineup in the coming year.

In January 2015, CEF expanded its mission by becoming a registered Scholarship Granting Organization for the Kansas Tax Credit for Low-Income Students Scholarship Program.

Adrienne Runnebaum joined CEF in March 2015 as the director of tax credits. She oversees the management of the program, including donor development and strategic planning. Susie Evans joined the team in January as the tax credit

process manager. She provides support to our principals and families on program policies, application processes and scholarship management.

Last year, 99 students attended 12 of our Catholic schools with the support of CEF tax credit scholarships. We will award a new group of students this year as well. Every day, we strive to make a Catholic education possible for those in need and look forward to our continued work with this school choice initiative.

I am very proud of this group and what they are doing to help kids in poverty attend our Catholic schools!

Deo Gratias honorees learned stewardship at home

t Grandparents Day at my grandchildren’s school, a grandmother softly spoke to me about her four grandchildren. Her two oldest grandsons, now teenagers, seldom visit her, she said, and the parents of her two youngest grandchildren, a boy and a girl, are too busy to spend much time with her either.

I sensed sadness in her musings. St. Teresa of Calcutta understood solitude. “Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty,” she said.

I think this grandma and her grandkids will

SIMPLY STEWARDSHIP

LESLE KNOP Lesle Knop is the executive director of the archdiocesan office of stewardship and development. You can email her at: lknop@archkck.org.

be blessed by spending more time together.

PANKEY FOUNDATION REPAIR

On Nov. 3, the Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas will honor an amazing pair of Shawnee businessmen brothers and their wives — Ben and Betty Zarda and Tom and Mickey Zarda — with the 2016 Deo Gratias Outstanding Family Award.

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I spent some time last week talking to Ben, born in 1927, who shared childhood memories of time spent with his elders.

When Ben was 8 years old, he was diagnosed with a heart murmur. His doctor prescribed prolonged rest.

“I remember Grandpa sitting with me on those long days while my mother ironed,” he said.

“That’s where I picked up the German that I know.”

He remembers asking his uncle for a raise at age 10 while earning 22 cents (and a blue plate special for lunch) delivering milk for the Zarda family dairy.

“My aunt would not let my uncle smoke in

the house, so I knew I would find him smoking his pipe outside,” he said. “When I got up the nerve to talk, he told me he was thinking about cutting my pay. ‘Why don’t we just leave it like it is?’ he said. I never mentioned it again.”

The Zarda family’s commitment to Catholic causes is well-known.

“My dad taught us to tithe ten percent,” Ben said. “Once a month, he gave a tenth of his dairy income to the parish.”

Ben is the third of nine children. His parents believed that stewardship requires being a witness to their faith by always placing their trust in the goodness of God. Archbishop Nau-

mann’s commitment to baptize third children of families in our archdiocese affirms this conviction. I am the third child of six. When my own third child was born, a friend told me an old Jewish saying: We have our first child to affirm our love for each other; our second child to affirm our love for family; and our third child to affirm our faith in God and that life will go on.

God has blessed Ben Zarda whose family history could be summed up with these words: “The godly walk with integrity; blessed are their children after them” (Prv 20:7).

SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 | THELEAVEN.ORG

WORLD

16

BENEDICT ON BENEDICT

Historic first: Pope emeritus praises gifts of his successor

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service

V

ATICAN CITY (CNS) — While retired Pope Benedict XVI said organization and governance are not his strong suits, he also said, “I am unable to see myself as a failure.”

In a book-length interview with the German author Peter Seewald, Pope Benedict said that when he resigned, he had the “peace of someone who had overcome difficulty” and “could tranquilly pass the helm to the one who came next.”

The new book, “Last Testament,” will be released in English by Bloomsbury in November. The German and Italian editions were in bookstores Sept. 9, but some excerpts were published Sept. 8 by the Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera.

Pope Benedict insisted once again that he was not pressured by anyone or any event to resign and he did not feel he was running away from any problem.

“My weak point perhaps is a lack of resolve in governing and making decisions,” he said. “Here, in reality, I am more a professor, one who reflects and meditates on spiritual questions. Practical governance was not my forte and this certainly was a weakness.”

Pope Francis, on the other hand, “is a man of practical reform,” the retired pope said. His personality and experience as a Jesuit provincial and archbishop have enabled him to take practical organizational steps.

The retired pope, who is 89, said he had no inkling that then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio would be elected his successor; “No one expected him.”

“When I first heard his name, I was unsure,” he said. “But when I saw how he spoke with God and with people, I truly was content. And happy.”

Pope Benedict said it made no impression on him that the brand-new pope chose to appear on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica without wearing the ermine-lined red mozzetta or cape.

“What did touch me, though,” he said, “was that even before going out onto the loggia, he tried to phone me.”

Electing the first Jesuit pope and the first Latin American pope, the College of Cardinals showed that “the church is moving, dynamic, open, with the prospect of new developments before it,” he said. “What is beautiful and encouraging is that even in our day, things that no one expected happen, and they demonstrate that the church is alive and brimming with new possibilities.”

Seewald also asked Pope Benedict about reports that during his pontificate there was a so-called “gay lobby” in the Curia and the group protected certain priests by threatening to blackmail others.

The retired pope replied that a commission of three cardinals he had named to investigate a major leak of

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This is the cover of “Last Testament,” an interview retired Pope Benedict XVI did with German author Peter Seewald. In the book, the pope talks about events surrounding his resignation and says that practical governance was not his forte. reserved documents and conduct an administrative review of Vatican offices and procedures identified “a small group of four, perhaps five persons,” which a few Vatican officials and the media later would refer to as the “gay lobby.”

“We dissolved it,” Pope Benedict said.

The retired pope, who has had a pacemaker since 1997 and can no longer see out of his left eye, told Seewald that preparing for death is part of his daily routine. It’s not a matter of getting his earthly affairs in order, he said, “but of preparing to pass the ultimate examination before God.” With a view to writing a biography, Seewald said he conducted his interview with Pope Benedict “shortly before and after” his resignation in

“

“WHAT DID TOUCH ME . . .

WAS THAT EVEN BEFORE GOING OUT ONTO THE LOGGIA, [POPE FRANCIS] TRIED TO PHONE ME.” February 2013. The book contains more than 500 questions and answers, covering the childhood of Joseph Ratzinger, his seminary and university years, his teaching career and his work at the Second Vatican Council. Seewald also asked about his years as a bishop in

Germany, his work as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and his papacy.

Pope Benedict reviewed the text and approved its publication, Seewald said. The two met May 23 at the Mater Ecclesiae monastery in the Vatican Gardens, where the retired pope lives with his secretary Archbishop Georg Ganswein and a small group of consecrated women, who care for the household.

The only writing the retired pope does these days, he told Seewald, is a Sunday homily each week.

“You write sermons for four or five people?” Seewald asked. “Why not?” the retired pope replied. “Whether there are three or 20 or 1,000 [people], the word of God must always be present to people.”

But writing any more than that, he said, “would simply be too arduous for me now.”

Insisting “my hour had passed and I had given all I could,” Pope Benedict said he never has regretted resigning, but he does regret hurting friends and faithful who were “really distressed and felt forsaken” by his stepping down.

While a pope, like any Christian, is called to take up his cross and follow Christ — including bearing criticism and even scorn — the retired pope said, “that doesn’t mean, however, that he must die by the sword.”

As Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, he served 24 years as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, working very closely with St. John Paul II. Despite their closeness, Pope Benedict said he easily rejected the idea of taking the name John Paul III when it became clear in the conclave of 2005 that he was about to be elected St. John Paul’s successor.

“I felt that would be inappropriate because a standard had been set there, which I couldn’t match,” Pope Benedict said. “I was a different character, cut from different cloth. I had a different sort of charisma, or rather a non-charisma.”

In response to Seewald’s repetition of the aphorism that “the loving God corrects every pope in his successor,” the retired pope said Pope Francis’ “direct contact with people,” the way he wades into a crowd, is probably a correction, as is “the courage with which he exposes problems and searches for solutions.”

When Pope Francis published his apostolic exhortation, “Evangelii Gaudium” (“The Joy of the Gospel”) in November 2013, he sent Pope Benedict a copy bound in white, the color usually reserved for the pope’s copy of a document.

The text came with “a beautiful personal letter” in Pope Francis’ own handwriting, which, Pope Benedict said, “is much smaller than mine.” The retired pope, whose handwriting is notoriously miniscule, said, “in comparison my handwriting is huge.”