THELEAVEN.ORG | VOL. 45, NO. 13 | NOVEMBER 3, 2023
LEAVEN PHOTO BY KATHRYN WHITE
Megan Thomas, a graduate of St. James Academy in Lenexa, teaches Lori Gonterwitz about the Sign of the Cross. Thomas, and fellow St. James alumna Brooke Warlop, are volunteers who teach faith formation and sacramental preparation to children with special needs. By Tom Racunas Special to The Leaven
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VERLAND PARK — In Psalm 139, King David prays: “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” Bearing witness to that fact that all are “wonderfully made,” Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann launched an effort in 2015 to make the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas more responsive to the catechetical and sacramental needs of persons with disabilities. He asked then-vicar general Father Gary Pennings to spearhead a task force to that end. The task force conducted a series of listening
ACCESS AND ACCEPTANCE
Ascension Parish strives to make sacraments obtainable to those with special needs sessions for parents who had a child with a disability. “The listening sessions made me aware of the pain families experience when they meet with barriers — though many times unintentional
barriers — from the church and other institutions, in gaining access and acceptance for their child with a disability,” said Father Pennings. Those sessions strengthened his conviction that the church could do
more and provide more than what was available at the time. Two years ago, Father Pennings was named pastor at Church of the Ascension in Overland Park. He established a special-needs team of parents and professionals. “The goal is to be more responsive to people and families,” he explained. “The team explores ways we can be more hospitable, ways to make reasonable accommodations for participation in faith formation and the liturgy, and to provide what we can for students with disabilities in our school.” Around that same time, Father Pennings was approached by Jim and Mary Kate Hamilton, who had moved from Chicago and are parents of three children, including a son with autism. The Hamiltons were seeking a support group to help them deal with the daily >> See “GROUP” on page 7