12 11 20 Vol. 42 No. 18

THELEAVEN.ORG | VOL. 42, NO. 18 | DECEMBER 11, 2020

LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann celebrates the Mass marking the 150th anniversary of St. Dominic Church in Holton. Assisting the archbishop, at right, is parochial administrator Father William Dun-Dery.

A SIMPLE TESTAMENT TO ENDURING FAITH St. Dominic Church marks 150th with anniversary Mass

By Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org

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OLTON — Restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic made the 150th anniversary celebration of St. Dominic Parish here on Dec. 6 modest by necessity.

But celebrate they did.

Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann was the main celebrant and homilist at the 10:30 a.m. Mass, with parochial administrator Father William Dun-Dery as concelebrant.

Father Jonathan Dizon, who had been serving as pastor from July 2018 until early November, was present but unable to exercise his ministry due to immigration status complications stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.

In his homily, Archbishop Naumann touched upon the history of the parish, praising the pioneering founders.

The archbishop also noted the parish’s curious Christmas connection: The first Mass was celebrated for Holton Catholics on Christmas Day in 1870, and

LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER

Tena and Galen Brucken pray the rosary before the 150th anniversary Mass celebration at St. Dominic Church in Holton. the first Mass in the current church was also celebrated on Christmas Day, this time in 1923.

No reception or dinner was held after the Mass, but each person received a gift bag that contained, among other things,

a commemorative iced sugar cookie.

Holton, with a population of about 3,250, is served by 11 churches. Churches are an important part of small-town life.

St. Dominic’s parish events — two annual chicken fries and Lenten fish fries — are attended by many in the community, according to Larry Tanking, a parishioner since 1969. The parish also participates in the local food bank and the annual “Coats for Kids” drive.

“I would recommend this parish to anyone,” said Tanking. “The people here are friendly, devoted Catholics, for the most part. They’d help anyone do anything.”

Retired pastor Father Bob Hasenkamp, whose brother Don and sisterin-law Pat are parishioners, was pastor from 1985 to 1991.

“I really enjoyed my time there,” said Father Hasenkamp, now living in Topeka. “I really felt a sense of welcome.

“People were very supportive. From >> See “FORMER” on page 5

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ARCHBISHOP

DECEMBER 11, 2O2O | THELEAVEN.ORG

Make your adversity your opportunity to witness

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dvent marks the beginning of a new liturgical year during which our Sunday readings feature one of the three synoptic Gospels — Matthew, Mark or Luke. This year, we will be reflecting upon the Gospel of St. Mark.

Mark’s Gospel is the shortest and many biblical scholars believe it was the first to be written. Mark was not an apostle, but he knew the apostles and the early leaders of the Christian community.

From early Christian tradition, Mark the Evangelist is considered to be the Mark mentioned frequently in the Acts of the Apostles.

His mother owned a house in Jerusalem where the early Christians met. Some believe that this was the location of the upper room, the site of the Last Supper and the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles on Pentecost.

Mark, a cousin of Barnabas, accompanied Paul and Barnabas on one of their missionary journeys. Mark decided at some point to abandon the journey, causing tension between Barnabas and Paul.

Mark is also referenced in the Letters of Peter. Several early Christian Fathers of the Church in their writings support the predominant theory that Mark’s Gospel is actually based upon Peter’s recollections of the life, ministry, passion, death and resurrection of Jesus.

This past Sunday, our Gospel passage consisted of the first eight verses of the

LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS ARCHBISHOP JOSEPH F. NAUMANN Gospel of Mark. Unlike Matthew and Luke, Mark’s Gospel provides no infancy narrative describing the circumstances of Our Lord’s birth. Mark begins his Gospel by informing his readers with unequivocal clarity the true identity of Jesus as both the Christ and the Son of God. “Christ” originates from a Greek word that means “the anointed one.” It is equivalent to the Jewish word, Messiah.

The Jewish people had been waiting for centuries for the coming of the Messiah, who was destined to liberate God’s people from bondage. Jews in the time of Jesus believed the Messiah would liberate them from the oppression of the Romans.

From the very beginning of his Gospel, Mark wants his readers to know that Jesus is someone much greater than the common understanding of the Messiah.

Jesus is God who became flesh. Jesus did not come to throw out the Romans and establish a new Jewish

empire. The Son of God has come to immerse himself in our humanity in order that we might share in his divine life.

Mark also immediately presents his readers with the prophetic figure of John the Baptist, who is drawing people from the countryside and even from the city of Jerusalem to the banks of the Jordan River.

John invites those who come for baptism to acknowledge with humility and honesty their sins and, in so doing, to open their hearts to encounter God’s mercy.

Mark’s description of John the Baptist’s wardrobe and diet is reminiscent of the prophet Elijah, who was expected to return to announce the arrival of the Messiah.

John the Baptist makes clear that he is not the Christ and acknowledges that he is not worthy even to do the task of a slave, to stoop and unfasten his master’s sandals.

John tells the crowds on the banks of the Jordan that the baptism of the Christ will not only cleanse one from sin, but will empower recipients with the Holy Spirit. Jesus desires for his disciples not only to share in his divine life

but in his ministry as well.

For Mark, the encounter with Jesus Christ is worth everything. He knows that many will experience persecution because of their faith in Jesus as the Son of God. Our Lord immersed himself in our humanity, just as he plunged into the waters of the Jordan. Jesus came to liberate his disciples — not from the Romans, but from the enslavement of sin and the fear of death.

Jesus desires even something more for his disciples than the awesome gift of sharing in his divine and eternal life. Our Lord wants them to share in his joy and happiness by sharing in his mission as well.

Through the waters

of baptism, Jesus wants to open our hearts to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, who will empower us to bring the joy of the Gospel and the mercy of God to others.

Mark believes his message is the greatest possible good news for every man, woman and child. Though many of his contemporaries are experiencing persecution because of their faith in Jesus, Mark does not see this as a reason for despair but, rather, as an opportunity for the disciple to give witness to the hope and joy of being alive in the Holy Spirit.

Our Lord does not promise his disciples that they will be protected from adversity, suffering and death. In fact, Our Lord challenges us to follow him all

the way to Calvary. For the disciple of Jesus, our adversities become the very opportunities to make our witness most powerful and compelling.

It is our ability not to become preoccupied with our own suffering and difficulties, but, rather, to be aware and responsive to the needs of those around us that forces the world to take notice.

It is the disciple’s ability to manifest authentic hope and joy that draws others to desire the source of their love, compassion, hope and joy.

This is why for the disciple of Jesus, a persecution or a pandemic is not a reason for discouragement or despair, but is a tremendous opportunity to give witness to the power and beauty of the Gospel.

Mark desires readers of his Gospel not only to know about Jesus, but actually to encounter Jesus — the Christ and the Son of God. Advent is a time not only to remember the coming of the Messiah with the birth of Jesus.

More importantly, it is a special time of grace to recall that the One born in Bethlehem is still with us today.

During Advent, I urge you to ask Jesus to reveal himself to you and to give you the spiritual vision to recognize him in the events, experiences and encounters of each day.

Let our Advent prayer be: Come, Lord Jesus, come and reveal yourself to us so we can be heralds of your joy and hope in a sin-darkened, despairing world.

LOCAL NEWS

DECEMBER 11, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG

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TIES THAT BIND

Virus can’t separate Xavier students from SCL community

By Therese Horvat Special to The Leaven

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EAVENWORTH — For over 160 years, there have been strong ties that bind Catholic education here and the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth

(SCLs).

Nothing — not even the current coronavirus pandemic — has managed to break that connection.

But this year, faculty, staff and students at Xavier Elementary School in Leavenworth have had to update their approach to maintaining the connection with the Sisters who live at the SCL motherhouse and Ross Hall skilled nursing facility.

The Sisters have been in quarantine and isolation for several months as precautionary measures against the coronavirus. Whereas previously Sisters took the lead in coordinating activities focused on spirituality and heritage at the school, this year, lay teachers have assumed many of these responsibilities, including planning the annual heritage week.

“And delightfully so,” observed Sister Jane Schmitz, SCL, of the teachers’ efforts. Sister Jane is director of faith formation at Xavier and a resident at the SCL motherhouse.

“I didn’t worry about planning for the recent observance,” she said. “I knew the teachers could and would do it. They did a great job and introduced wonderful new things.”

As a result of their efforts, creative and prayerful expressions of gratitude and thanksgiving abounded during Mother Xavier Awareness Week, Nov. 9-13, with some activities scheduled to continue through the academic year.

From prayer quilts to prayer buddies, members of the Xavier School community let the Sisters know that they missed their physical presence in the school and that they very much valued the SCLs and their heritage.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SISTERS OF CHARITY

Sister Dolores Erman (right) shares a comment with Sister Jane Jackson about a design on one of the prayer quilts displayed in the Sisters of Charity motherhouse. Xavier School students created squares to make up three prayer quilts presented to Sisters living at their skilled nursing center.

‘Family history’ For Janet Meyer, fourth-grade teacher in her 32nd year at the elementary school, keeping connected with the Sisters and their history is “like learning your family history.”

“Since we no longer have the luxury of having the Sisters in our buildings,” she explained, “we need to work to understand who we are and where we came from.”

A large part of this is understanding the story of the SCLs and Mother Xavier Ross, their foundress. The Sisters arrived in Leavenworth on Nov. 11, 1858, and soon thereafter began teaching in schools associated with local parishes.

Under Mother Xavier’s leadership, they responded to calls to serve by opening orphanages, hospitals and schools in Kansas and other states. Mother Xavier, who died in 1895, was known for her pioneer spirit, trust in divine providence, and deep dedication to service and to

PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. FRANCIS XAVIER SCHOOL

Fourth-graders at Xavier School in Leavenworth work on a prayer quilt that will go to the Sisters of Charity motherhouse. Three quilts were created and displayed at the Sisters’ skilled nursing center. the members of her community.

In 1979, when the four Catholic schools in Leavenworth consolidated under the name of Xavier, administrator Sister Katherine Franchett, SCL, formed a committee to plan Mother Xavier Awareness Week with activities centered on the Nov. 11 Founders’ Day observed by the SCL community.

Sister Jane believes that every year since has featured an awareness week planned by a committee. She and Sister Elizabeth Skalicky, SCL, have been very involved in recent years.

“The week is an important opportunity to keep the spirit of Mother Xavier alive,” said Sister Jane.

Janelle Hartegan, principal, agreed.

“This is part of the tradition of our school,” she said. “The students learn about the great things accomplished

by Mother Xavier and the Sisters and about ways we continue to benefit from their talents and dedication. They also learn about each individual’s call to service and about religious vocations.”

Introduction of new activities Through the years, Mother Xavier Awareness Week has included a Mass,

President Most Rev. Joseph F. Naumann

Publication No. (ISSN0194-9799) 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.

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Senior Reporter Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org

the telling of Mother Xavier’s story by a Sister portraying the foundress, age-appropriate arts and craft activities illustrating the Sisters’ ministries, and more.

This year’s committee introduced the new project of making “prayer quilts” fashioned from paper. Each student decorated a quilt piece or square with the name of a prayer or a scriptural quotation. Teachers connected the squares with ribbon and incorporated messages to the Sisters including: “Our prayers are sewn together like patches in a quilt. May they always keep your heart warm.”

Another reads: “God’s words will always keep you warm.” The quilts were hung in different locations in the motherhouse and Ross Hall for viewing by the Sisters.

Pairing individual Sisters and students as prayer buddies was another new and popular feature of this year’s awareness week. Initially, Meyer brainstormed with Sister Jane about this concept; Sister Jane suggested the development of actual prayer buddy cards as visual reminders.

Each student received a card with the photo and name of the SCL assigned as his/her prayer buddy, and vice versa, with each Sister given a prayer card displaying her respective student’s photo and name. The prayer buddy initiative will continue through the school year, with teachers allotting designated time for students to pray for their Sisters.

“This seems to touch everyone’s hearts,” said Sister Jane. “For the Sisters who were teachers, it brings back happy >> See “XAVIER” on page 13

Managing Editor Anita McSorley anita.mcsorley@theleaven.org

Advertising Coordinator Beth Blankenship beth.blankenship@theleaven.org

Social Media Editor/Reporter Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org

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LOCAL NEWS

DECEMBER 11, 2O2O | THELEAVEN.ORG

Sister Bernadette Marie Teasdale, SCL

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CNS PHOTO/DAVE HRBACEK, THE CATHOLIC SPIRIT

Dave and Jackie Krenske of Divine Mercy Parish in Faribault, Minnesota, view a reproduction of a fresco called “The Creation of Adam” Nov. 15 at Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel Exhibition at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. The exhibit is also on display now though Jan. 10, 2021, at America’s Center Ballroom in St. Louis.

Sistine Chapel exhibit comes to St. Louis

By Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org

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ANSAS CITY, Kan. — Many people dream of seeing Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel but are never able to make the trip to the Vatican.

Now with travel restrictions due to COVID-19, the opportunity to view his work might seem even further out of reach.

But it’s closer than people might think.

With just a three and a half hour drive from Kansas City, Kansas, to St. Louis, those interested can see Michelangelo’s life-size masterpiece up close.

Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel Ex-

Atchison native to lead Franciscans ATCHISON — Father Ron Walters, OFM, a native of Atchison, was elected as the sixth provincial minister of Our Lady of Guadalupe Province.

Father Ron was born and raised in Atchison, where he started his Father Ron Walters, faith journey OFM in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. He was ordained a priest on Dec. 30, 1978, at St. Benedict’s Abbey in Atchison by Bishop Marion Forst, auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese.

Because the Franciscan provinces of the United States are coming together to form a new province in 2023, Father Ron will serve as the last provincial minister of Our Lady of Guadalupe Province.

hibition has been touring cities across the U.S. and other countries over the past five years.

Produced by SEE Global Entertainment, it gives viewers the chance to see Michelangelo’s work even more clearly than they would at the Sistine Chapel itself — thanks to life-size recreations of his work.

The exhibit opened at America’s Center Ballroom in St. Louis on Nov. 6, with hours from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday through Sunday.

It’s centered on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, as well as “The Last Judgment” fresco on the chapel’s altar wall.

Special fabrics make the giant frescoes look authentic, and rather than straining their vision for a clear view, spectators will have plenty of time to observe the famous works up-close.

They won’t have to fight off a crowd either, with ample space in the ballroom for social distancing. Several other COVID-19 protocols will also be in place.

According to Brian Hall, chief marketing officer at Explore St. Louis, attendees can download a smartphone app for the exhibit, point it at any fresco and listen to the description of the biblical scene Michelangelo created.

Those who attend are also invited to take their own photos of the frescoes.

The St. Louis exhibit will close on Jan. 10, 2021.

To purchase tickets or learn more about the exhibit, visit the website at: chapelsistine.com/event/ticketssistine-chapel-st-louis-mo.

Sisters of Charity present Vincentian Charism Award

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“strengthening communities and imEAVENWORTH — The Sisproving the lives of Latinos and others ters of Charity of Leaventhrough educational, social and ecoworth have announced that nomic opportunities.”

Irene Caudillo, a member Caudillo is involved in several imof Christ the King Parish in portant boards and community service Kansas City, Kansas, is the second reorganizations, which include the Wycipient of the community’s recently esandotte Health Foundation, tablished Vincentian Charism Governor’s Council on EducaAward. tion, KU Advancement Board “We are pleased to acknowland the University of Saint edge Irene, whose life and Mary board of trustees. work exemplifies the spirit and The Sisters of Charity of service of St. Vincent de Paul,” Leavenworth trace their roots says Sister Constance Phelps, to St. Vincent de Paul, a 17thSisters of Charity community century Catholic priest who director. “She has been a lifeserved the poor and needy in long advocate for the needy, a France. On Nov, 11, Founders’ voice for the voiceless and a Day, the Sisters of Charity champion for diversity, espeIrene Caudillo community marked its 162nd cially on behalf of the Latino community. Irene embodies the charac- anniversary, and the second year of this teristic Vincentian virtues of compas- award. The award honors the works sion, justice and charity.” and witness begun by Mother Xavier Caudillo has devoted her life to Ross and the founding of the Sisters of helping children, youth, adults and Charity. families in a variety of service-related Due to coronavirus concerns, Caupositions. Since 2013, she has served as dillo will officially receive the Vincentian Charism Award in a formal prethe president and CEO of El Centro, a sentation sometime in early 2021. not-for-profit agency whose mission is

EAVENWORTH — Sister Bernadette Marie Teasdale, 86, a Sister of Charity of Leavenworth, died on Nov. 5 at St. Luke’s North Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. She celebrated her 60th anniversary as a Sister of Charity in 2015.

Mary Martha Teasdale entered the religious community soon after graduating from college and served as a teacher, college instructor, administrator and spiritual formation minister.

She was known for her vivacious spirit and skills as a leader and mentor.

A colleague once called her “the warmest, most supportive person you could ever find.” She had a passion for Ireland, and worked on her brother Joseph’s campaign for Missouri governor, which he won in 1976, serving one term.

Mary Martha was born on April 9, 1934, in Kansas City, Missouri, the oldest of four children of William B. and Adah M. (Downey) Teasdale. She had a strong Irish and English Catholic heritage. Her father, a notable attorney, was past president of the St. Vincent de Paul Society at their local parish. She attended St. Elizabeth Grade School and Bishop Hogan High School in Kansas City, Missouri, before graduating with an economics degree from Fontbonne College in St. Louis.

She entered the Sisters of Charity community on Aug. 19, 1955, and professed vows as Sister Bernadette Marie on Aug. 22, 1957. In early 1966, she received a master’s degree in guidance and counseling from Catholic University in Washington, D.C. Sister Bernadette Marie taught high school students in Montana and Nebraska, before transitioning to Saint Mary College in 1966, where she was asked to set up the counseling and placement office and also serve as an education instructor.

Four years later, she moved to the development office, and later served as director of public relations. Sensing a call to adult faith formation, she pursued a master’s degree in theological studies from Weston School of Theology in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

After graduating, she served in various roles for the Denver Archdiocese, notably as the associate director of RENEW, which focused on adult spiritual formation and lay leadership development.

In 1986, Sister Bernadette Marie was asked by the Denver Archdiocese to serve as the coordinator of contemplative outreach, where she developed a 25-year collaboration with Father Thomas Keating, a Trappist monk who had suggested her for the position.

Father Keating was one of the chief architects of centering prayer, a contemplative prayer method that drew on ancient Christian traditions.

Their talents dovetailed: his, as a leading thinker and writer; hers, as an organizer, curriculum developer, teacher and promoter. Their work with centering prayer grew quickly and was influential among many Catholic parishes throughout the country.

In 2011, she retired and took time to be with family, while pursuing additional studies in spiritual direction and continuing to mentor adults in faith formation.

LOCAL NEWS

DECEMBER 11, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG

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New facilitators hope to be ‘part of the solution’ to abuse crisis

By Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org

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ANSAS CITY, Kan. — They’ve spent more than 15 years working to end and prevent child and vulnerable adult abuse in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.

Now, Monica Lane and Franchiel Nyakatura are stepping up even more.

The women are “Virtus — Protecting God’s Children” volunteer facilitators.

They lead Virtus sessions at their respective parishes and others throughout the year for people in the archdiocese who teach, volunteer or work with children in some capacity.

These sessions are designed to educate people about the warning signs of abuse and what to do when someone poses a threat to children and vulnerable adults.

For Nyakatura, a parishioner at Our Lady & St. Rose in Kansas City, Kansas, the work has been deeply rewarding.

“I know that once a person attends a session,” she said, “they’re equipped with skills they can walk off [with] immediately and be ready to protect children and vulnerable adults from abuse instantaneously.

“When you walk out of that session, you are ready. The plan to protect is so clear that you’re ready to do it that moment.”

Because of their passion and talent for this work, Lane, a parishioner at St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Leawood, and Nyakatura were chosen to help train a new batch of Virtus volunteer facilitators next summer.

“We were looking for seasoned Virtus facilitators who also demonstrated strong leadership and mentoring skills, and we found that and more in Monica and Franchiel,” said Jenifer Valenti, director of the office for protection and care.

Both facilitators are eager to help the cause.

“It’s a way for me to be a part of the solution and to help other people see that they, too, can be a part of the solution,” said Lane.

The pair recently underwent thorough training with the national Virtus office via Zoom and had the chance to practice training new facilitators.

Since then, they’ve met with the

PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER

Monica Lane, left, and Franchiel Nyakatura stand outside Holy Name School in Kansas City, Kansas, where Nyakatura teaches. The women are volunteer Virtus facilitators and were recently certified to train a new group of facilitators for the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas next summer.

How to help Attendance at a Virtus certification session — in-person or online — is required to work around children in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.

All clergy, employees and volunteers whose roles put them in contact with children must be Virtus certified. If you think you might want to help with this effort to keep children in the archdiocese safe, visit the website at: archkck.org. Click on the menu in the top right corner, and under “Administration,” click “Virtus — Protecting God’s Children.” Scroll down, and you’ll find a link to the facilitator application.

archdiocesan office for protection and care for a few hours every four to six weeks to prepare a two-day training session for the new facilitators.

“The pandemic has . . . given us time

to put together a training session that will be meaningful and will help equip the new facilitators to go and be facilitators themselves,” said Lane.

The work has been strenuous, but it’s worth it for both women, who said “yes” when they were recommended to be facilitators more than a decade ago.

At the time, Lane was a Catholic school counselor. She was intrigued

by Virtus from the time she first heard about it.

“I was interested in what the program was about,” she said. “Then, I went to the [facilitator] training and really loved the message.”

Nyakatura is a teacher and was eager to volunteer as a facilitator when she attended her first Virtus session and recognized how vital the content was.

“There are clear-cut things that you can do in your homes, your communities and in the work that you do [to prevent abuse],” she said. “That in-

spires me.”

Valenti said the efforts of the two women have been “a blessing.”

“Our prevention efforts in the archdiocese will not succeed without the work of local leaders serving as ambassadors for the program,” she said.

“We all owe them a debt of gratitude for helping to keep our vulnerable [persons] safe,” she added.

Nyakatura looks forward to training the new group of facilitators and emphasized how critical their work will be.

“There’s a phrase they use [at Virtus]: ‘You might be the one person who can help a child,’” she said.

“I just want people to know you might be the one person who could save a child or vulnerable adult from some type of an abuse,” she continued.

“By being a facilitator, you’re touching so many lives.”

To learn more about Virtus, visit the website at: virtusonline.org/virtus.

Former pastor shares happy memories from years in Holton >> Continued from page 1 the first day I arrived, I felt welcomed.

[As an incoming pastor] your reputation always precedes you,” he said.

“They knew I came from another small parish in the country. St. Dominic’s was a good fit for me as far as my priestly ministry was concerned.”

Father Hasenkamp still claims a bit of a living legacy there, in fact. There’s a garden across the street from the rectory where he planted four little grape vines to make wine.

“Those [vines] are still there, still producing grapes,” said Father Hasenkamp. “I think someone in the parish harvests them and makes wine. Whenever I visit, I check my grape vines.”

Holton was founded by a six-wagon train of Free State settlers from Milwaukee that arrived in the fall of 1856.

There was no sign of Catholics in the history of Holton until 1870, when a few recently arrived Catholic families asked

the Jesuits at the mission in St. Marys to send them a priest. They did, and Masses were celebrated twice a year, for the Christmas and Easter duties.

The Catholic population increased, encouraged in part by the arrival of the Kansas Central Railroad, to the point where a church could be built. The wood-frame church was completed by January 1874 and Benedictine priests traveled there to celebrate Mass on the third Sunday of each month.

Father John Begley became the first permanent pastor, and Father Alexander W. Jennings became the first resident pastor in 1886.

Pastors from St. Dominic also served mission parishes St. Agatha in Larkingburg (1884-1924), St. Joseph Parish in Hoyt (1899-1924) and St. Francis Xavier Parish in Mayetta (built 1915).

Today, St. Dominic Parish has 215 families and shares a pastor with St. Francis Xavier Parish.

Parish milestones • 1870: The Catholics of Holton and Jackson County requested a priest from the Jesuits at St. Marys. The first Mass was celebrated on Christmas Day 1870.

• 1874: The first wood-frame church was completed. Father John Begley became the first permanent pastor.

• 1886: The parish built a rectory and obtained five acres for a cemetery.

• 1922: Land for a new church was purchased. Foundation work began.

• 1923: The first Mass was celebrated in the new, brick church on Christmas Day. The old church was retained as a parish hall.

• 1958: A house was purchased for two Benedictine Sisters, who taught religious education.

• 1964-1970: The parish experienced many changes in liturgy and parish administration because of the Second Vatican Council.

• 1970: St. Dominic Parish celebrated its centennial. Father Ed Hays, the pastor, remodeled the interior of the church.

• 1983: The old parish hall and original church were torn down and a new parish hall and religious education center were built.

• 2001: Due to a shortage of priests, the parish was without a pastor and was served by parochial administrators for a few years.

• 2005-2009: Various parish renovation and remodeling projects were undertaken for the church and rectory.

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FAMILY LIFE

Family rituals open kids’ eyes to Christ in others

By Deacon Tony Zimmerman Special to The Leaven

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n two weeks, we will celebrate the Nativity of Our Lord. In our churches and homes, we will gather around a representation of the event known as a crèche or, simply, a Nativity scene.

What aspect of this scene most captures our attention TOOLS FOR and moves our heart?

FAMILIES For most of us, it is Growing as the infant Jesus lying Disciples of on the bed of straw Jesus in a manger because there was no place for him or his family in the inn. Perhaps we identify with the image of a shepherd kneeling before the infant.

We feel moved to make room in our homes and hearts for this child, the Son of God, who is willing to come into our world in this simple way. Perhaps this simple, unpretentious presence makes Jesus more approachable.

Now, close your eyes and quietly meditate on this scene. There will be children in our city tonight who will sleep on a floor without a mattress, having perhaps only a simple sheet or blanket. Their family can barely afford the rent. The bed, mattress, sheets, blankets and pillows we take for granted are a luxury for their family.

How does this scene affect our hearts? Do we see the presence of Jesus in these children and their families? How can we make room for this

DECEMBER 11, 2O2O | THELEAVEN.ORG Jim and Gerry (Klein) Wendling, members of Holy Cross Parish, Overland Park, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on Dec. 12.

The couple was married at St. Paul the Apostle Church in West Los Angeles. They have a son, Corey, who lives in Bernardsville, New Jersey. They also have four grandchildren.

ANNIVERSARY SUBMISSIONS There are children that sleep on the floor with no mattress. Do we see the presence of Jesus in the Nativity in these children? How can we help? presence of Jesus in our homes and lives?

We can choose to make a family ritual of gift giving at Christmas by doing the follow things: • As a family, donate a bed frame, clean sheets and blankets to Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas. (Used mattress and pillows are not a usable item for donation.) Perhaps your family can take the extra step and provide a new mattress and pillow.

• Call (913) 433-2100 for directions on how to make this donation happen.

• Many parishes have an “Adopt a Family” Christmas gift program.

• We are just beginning our winter season. Consider donating a clean, usable or new coat to your parish coat drive.

These family rituals practiced over the years help to open our eyes to the presence of Christ in those people we pass by each day. We form and strengthen our Christian faith in our children. We give hope to families to get through this especially tough time.

POLICY: The Leaven prints 50, 60, 65 and 70th anniversary notices.

INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: • The couple’s names • their parish • the date they were married • church and city where they were married • what they are doing to celebrate • date of the celebration • names of children (no spouses) • number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren; WHERE TO SUBMIT: Email notices to: todd.habiger@ theleaven.org.

DECEMBER 11, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

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Kansas City native pens new book about Father Emil Kapaun

By Marc and Julie Anderson mjanderson@theleaven.org

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EW YORK — It started in 2008.

That’s when Joe Drape, a Kansas City native and graduate of Rockhurst High School in Kansas City, Missouri, found himself in Smith Center.

As a writer for The New York Times, Drape had written stories about the intersection of sports, culture and money for 10 years, something he continues to this day. In addition to his career in sports journalJoe Drape is a Kansas City ism, Drape has native and graduate of authored several nonfiction Rockhurst High School. books, most of them on football or horse racing.

After he finished “Our Boys: A Perfect Season on the Plains with the Smith Center Redmen,” a New York Times bestseller that details the story behind the longest winning streak for a high school football team in the nation, Drape moved on with his life.

Still, there was one story that he couldn’t seem to get out of his mind — that of Father Emil Kapaun.

Born in 1916 in Pilsen, Father Kapaun was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Wichita in June 1940, serving as a parish priest until his life took an unexpected turn.

Near the beginning of World War II, Father Kapaun was appointed an auxiliary chaplain at the Army air base in Herington. According to Drape, that’s where Father Kapaun “found his true calling.”

Upon his first visit to the base, Drape wrote that Father Kapaun “did what he did best: He listened. It did not matter if the man was Catholic or Jewish or Baptist or atheist. It was a full-time job to hear soldiers confess their fears and talk through their doubts. He said Mass and heard confessions, but mostly he told men like him that what they were doing was appreciated by their families and their country. Sometimes he prayed with them; always he prayed for them.”

Soon, Drape wrote, Father Kapaun looked more forward to his part-time chaplaincy work than anything else. On July 12, 1944, the bishop recommended the priest to the U.S. Army Chaplain Corps. The priest returned briefly

Father Emil Kapaun, who was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Wichita, offers Mass off a jeep during the Korean War. Local author Joe Drape has written a book (right) about Father Kapaun. to parish life after World War II ended in 1945, but by 1950, Father Kapaun had reentered the chaplain corps and was among the first American soldiers sent to defend South Korea.

Eventually, he ended up in a prison camp where, Drape writes, his life came to a moving end.

“When his captors decided they had had enough of the defiant priest, they removed him from the group. As he was carried away by stretcher — starved, sick and unable to stand — to die alone in a fetid Death House, his fellow prisoners wept. They were Catholics and Christians, Jews and Muslims — all touched deeply by this remarkable priest. Father Kapaun astonished them once more when he forgave his tormentors before them and asked them to forgive him.”

That remark, Drape said, touched him deeply.

“Father Kapaun’s remark is like Jesus — the fact he was able to endure all that the Chinese threw at him and be happy to face his end and to forgive them,” said Drape.

“What saints are — and again this is from talking to experts, from reading about them and from my own view of things — is that they’re the closest imitations of Christ that we have,” he added.

Drape said he never expected to write this particular book.

“Honestly, nobody would have expected that of me,” he said. “I’m a sportswriter. I’ve done sports, and all my books are sports-related. This [story] is just something that got under my skin.”

And while he leads readers on a journey from Kansas to the Korean War prison camps, the White House and the Vatican, ultimately Drape said the real journey was his own.

“I knew I had the elements of a great

story. I had this fabulous biography of a remarkable man. I had sort of this detective story of the process as to how one becomes a saint,” he said.

“This took me five years, and the biggest holdout to finish it up was I needed to know what I believed and what my point of view was,” he concluded. “I needed to figured out what I believed.”

Calling himself “a short-circuited Catholic,” Drape said he struggled somewhat with his faith.

“Praying was hard for me. I didn’t really know how to do it,” he said. “I didn’t really feel like I had a spiritual connection.”

Over lunch one day with Father Jim Martin, SJ, Drape shared his struggles.

The priest’s answer caught him off-guard.

The Jesuit asked Drape if he had considered asking Father Kapaun himself for guidance on the project. That’s when Drape asked the server for the check.

“It (praying to Father Kapaun) was the simplest thing — and I hadn’t done it! I’m embarrassed,” he said. “It makes so much sense, but it had not crossed my mind. Perhaps that’s how short-circuited I was.”

Nowadays, Drape said he finds himself praying daily, trying to be more aware of God’s presence in his life. Each night, he reviews the day and reflects on the moments when he tried to be close to Jesus, as well as the instances in which he fell short.

“Every day you should ask yourself what you did to be close to Jesus,” he said. “And be present. Be very aware of God in your midst.”

That thought brings him back to Father Kapaun.

“He definitely lived most moments with God in his midst,” he said.

In the end, while Drape waits for the possible beatification and canonization of Father Kapaun, he believes this Servant of God is an individual to whom all Americans can look to as an example of how to treat others.

“We’re a very divided nation right now in all kinds of ways,” he said. “The fact that we’re talking about a guy who Muslims and Jews and atheists and people who had no reason to be Catholic looked up to and admired . . . that is the most impressive thing.

“Hopefully, the message is more universal than Catholics and saints and souls,” he continued. “We can all get along, and there are people out there who can help us get along.

“And Father Kapaun, obviously, is one of them.”

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DEPRESSION IS IT NORMAL TO FEEL WHAT I’M FEELING? HOW DO I KNOW WHEN IT’S TIME TO GET HELP?

By Moira Cullings

O

ne out of every three Americans reported in a recent study experiencing feelings of anxiety or depression, according to a survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics and the Census Bureau.

It seems like a startling statistic, but it’s not surprising, said Dr. Eric Gaughan, a Catholic psychologist in Overland Park.

2020, the year of the COVID-19 pandemic, has brought with it mental, physical and spiritual battles many have never fought before.

The Leaven spoke with Gaughan about the mental health issues the pandemic has created and how people can help themselves and each other through this difficult time.

Q.

Can you explain why one-third of Americans might be experiencing anxiety or depression, and whether it’s surprising or predictable based on the pandemic?

A. It would be sever-

al factors. The stress of what’s happening — the possibility of acquiring the illness [and] the possibility of loved ones acquiring the illness — that’s the main stressor.

The disruption in people’s daily lives right now with how we’re handling the pandemic and having to be distanced and change all these normal parts of our lives [is another] — it really breaks up those normal routines that we rely and depend on and thrive with.

Then, of course, there’s the isolation involved with that and the overarching uncertainty of this whole pandemic. It’s tough to deal with that uncertainty, and it’s very hard to deal with that when it just keeps going. We don’t know when it will let up.

We don’t know exactly what life will look like two months from now or five months from now.

That uncertainty itself is a major stressor.

All those things can really drive these emotional reactions, especially the anxiety and the depression.

Q.

Which do you think would be particularly vulnerable populations when it comes to anxiety and depression?

A.

First and foremost is anybody who has a history of anxiety or depression. Those people are going to be more likely to experience those things no matter what, but especially if we have a significant stressor like this.

And then I think more broadly, the more that people are cut off from their normal resources to cope, the more their risk is of being vulnerable to experiencing anxiety and depression.

Anyone can be affected by anxiety and depression. Once the demands

on them are greater than their resources, that’s when anxiety and depression are most likely to kick in.

Q.

A lot of people are now working from home. Does that contribute to our vulnerability to mental health challenges?

A.

It does in a few different ways. One is obviously not being around people in the same way that we’re accustomed to.

So, [we’re] not getting that contact, which has both a component of helping us in our work, but also that component of seeing friendly faces that we know, which is another element of work that most people find enjoyable.

Then, I think working from home puts us now in this very unstructured routine where we are in charge of developing a structure, which is hard to do, and it’s even harder if you’ve got kids at home or you’ve got other people working from home. It’s very different from what a normal workday would be.

When that structured routine isn’t there and people are struggling to create that routine and figure out what it looks like for them, that does make it more challenging.

Q.

With cold and flu season fast approaching and the weather getting colder, what can individuals do to take care of themselves mentally in the coming months?

A.

Getting outside in all this is really important. Especially in the spring, it seemed that in every neighborhood, people were out walking and seeing people you’ve never seen before.

That’s a way

for people to physically be active, but also to socially engage with others in a safe way, which helps to regulate our emotions and get us in a better head space.

It will be tougher when the weather changes and that becomes harder to do. The [goal with] all this is figuring out how you personally can adapt to it.

That may be figuring out some kind of routine at home that involves getting some exercise or getting contact with other people that’s different than what you’re doing now. We need to be connected to other people. That’s a part of what fulfills us.

Q.

Many people feel burnt out, on edge and are either sleeping more or sleeping badly these days. Are these signs of anxiety and depression, and what are some other signs people should look for?

A. Those are often

common signs. With depression, people often think of sadness and feeling down, which certainly are major symptoms of depression.

But just as commonly, people often feel a “blah” feeling — a disinterested, disengaged feeling — like they really don’t experience much interest in things. They don’t experience much pleasure when they do things.

Feeling on edge, feeling burnt out, irritable, sad, down, discouraged or disinterested — all those things can be different signs of anxiety and depression creeping in.

Q. How does some-

one know it’s time to seek more help than self-care?

A.

Part of it is, first, to recognize that it’s normal to have these feelings during this kind of stresso r.

We use the term normalize, which is to understand it’s OK to feel anxious right now; it’s OK to feel down right now.

On the other hand, oftentimes if it gets to the point where someone feels this is slipping out of their control — like they can’t turn it around, or they’re really distressed by the way they’re feeling, or it’s starting to significantly disrupt their life, those are important signs that it’s probably time to reach out and get help and move beyond trying to do it on your own.

Q.

When someone decides to seek help, how should they go about it? How would someone find a therapist?

A. In the archdiocese,

we’re very fortunate to have this list of Catholic therapists, which is a great starting block for somebody who’s looking for a therapist who has that Catholic faith and worldview.

That means different things to different people. Some people want the faith as part of the actual treatment.

Some people just want to know that their therapist understands them and is coming from that same understanding of the human person.

Read through a little bit about each of the people on [the archdiocesan website]. Fit is one of the most important elements of that relationship with a therapist. You can get a little of that information from reading about people.

And then just reaching out and calling them and hearing what they have to say and how they would approach your situation when you talk about it with them [will help in] seeing if that seems like something t h a t

aligns with what you’re looking for.

Q.

What would a first counseling session typically include?

A.

That first session is a time for you to make sure you feel comfortable working with me and I feel comfortable working with you. You’re going to probably be asked a lot of questions. But make sure you feel comfortable that this person is someone you think can understand you, that can help you work toward the goals that you want to work on in therapy and be there in a way that presents things in a way that you feel works for you.

Q.

Finally, have you been able to utilize teletherapy at all, and is it just as beneficial as in-person therapy?

A.

It’s something I’ve been doing in my practice long before the pandemic.

A small subset of my clients are people that live in more rural areas outside of our metro area that want to have a Catholic psychologist or therapist but don’t have one locally.

But [teletherapy] increased dramatically after the pandemic when everyone was shut in. Since then, it’s kind of leveled back out and a lot of people have come back in [to the] office.

It’s been really good, especially in the period when people couldn’t come out or didn’t feel comfortable coming out, or people that have health conditions that make them more vulnerable and they have to be more careful. In all of those things, [they still] have an opportunity to connect with someone who can still help them.

Teletherapy can be just as effective as in-person, in-office, normal, traditional treatment.

Tips for checking in on others • Family members you live with Be mindful of how different members of your family are responding to the pandemic and the reduction in interactions and activities. Since we all vary in the degree to which we enjoy activity, it is easy to mistakenly think if you’re handling these changes well that those around you are having the same experience.

The pandemic has forced us to let go of a lot of things in our life we enjoy, look forward to and consider important. Make sure you think about what those around you may be missing most right now.

• Elderly friends or relatives living alone Getting creative to find ways to spend time with each other in a socially distant, safe manner is obviously important. Start thinking now about what you can do to gather or keep up when the weather changes and be sensitive to how older loved ones feel about meeting by video.

Consider talking more by phone, writing letters, and sending photos and cards.

• Co-workers working from home who only see each other via Zoom Arrange an outdoor get-together with your close colleagues and again be mindful of coworkers who may be struggling more with isolation than others.

Mental health resources For a list of Catholic counselors in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, visit the website at: archkck.org.

Click the “Menu” button, and under the “Family & Kids” section, click on “Catholic Counselors.”

To learn more about Dr. Gaughan, visit his website at: kcpsychologist.com.

For depression information and resources, contact Stacy Davis at Mental Health America of the Heartland at (913) 281-2221, ext. 112.

To speak with someone after hours on a call line, contact Compassionate Ear Warm line at: (913) 281-2251 or (800) 927-6327.

10

NATION

DECEMBER 11, 2O2O | THELEAVEN.ORG

Therapy dog becomes essential worker at school during pandemic

By Mike Lang Catholic News Service

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LASGOW, Del. (CNS) — The newest employee at Christ the Teacher Catholic School is a boss’ dream.

All he requires are a bed in his office, a few trips outside during the day, and some scratching behind the ears.

Meet Dewey, the year-and-a-halfold golden doodle who has become a fixture around Christ the Teacher in Glasgow. Dewey is principal Steve Adams’ pet, but he’s become much more than that over the past few months. A trained therapy dog, he has become a fixture at Christ the Teacher.

There, he comes in two or three times a week. He greets students in the morning, makes classroom visits and bids farewell in the afternoon. Adams said Dewey has become an important part of the school.

“During the time of COVID, I think he’s really essential. He’s an essential employee. Just to help break the tension,” he told The Dialog, the newspaper of the Diocese of Wilmington, Delaware.

“Studies show that the sheer presence of a dog reduces a stress hormone in people. Petting dogs, they say, for a minute lowers blood pressure and reduces anxiety. So I think during any school year that’s needed.”

Other studies show that children who struggle with reading can benefit from reading to a dog, Adams

CNS PHOTO/MIKE LANG, THE DIALOG

First-graders Charlotte Morales and Michael Lank of Christ the Teacher Catholic School in Glasgow, Delaware, pet Dewey — the school’s trained therapy dog — Nov. 17, while their principal, Steve Adams, holds the canine’s leash. explained. The animal is “a nonjudgmental friend” who won’t correct a child. That helps boost self-confidence about their reading skills.

Adams didn’t just show up with Dewey one day in September. The pet has two certifications as a therapy dog, which involved going through basic obedience training with an emphasis on positive reinforcement, such as petting and praising, Adams said.

“When he gets that from the kids, that really rewards him,” he said. “Some

Christmas tree farmers provide patrons with a religious encounter

By Katie Rutter Catholic News Service

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RAFALGAR, Ind. (CNS) — Alena Beckwith may be only 7 years old, but she is already helping with the family business and evangelizing others in the process.

“I just like to give people trees so they remember Christmas and Jesus’ birthday,” said Alena, who attends St. Jude Parish in Indianapolis.

She spent Nov. 28 helping her grandparents, Don and Karen Beckwith, with their Christmas tree business in Trafalgar. The Beckwith family founded Emmanuel Tree Farm in 2007 aiming to bring other families together and place the season’s focus on Christ.

“A lot of people forget about the true meaning of Christmas,” explained Karen Beckwith, a member of St. Barnabas Parish in Indianapolis.

“So that was one of our goals: to bring Christ back into Christmas.”

The farm, which has four acres of Christmas trees, also offers faithoriented activities for families.

Alena and her siblings were quick to demonstrate the dress-up Nativity, where young ones don costumes and act out the holy scene. A homemade blue veil and tunic completed Alena’s portrayal of Mary, while feathery wings and a halo transformed her sister, Ava Beckwith, into an angel.

Kids also can take home crafts and have their hands painted — an adaption of the usual face painting because of COVID-19.

Near the back of the property, families walked along Nativity Trail. Eight small wooden stations line a pathway through uncleared woods. Each station

contains statues that depict part of the Christmas story, beginning with the Annunciation and ending with the Holy Family’s flight to Egypt.

Information pamphlets at the beginning of the trail contain Scripture readings for each station.

“We still really enjoy watching the families go back” on the trail, Don Beckwith told Catholic News Service.

“One member of the family will read the Bible passages that go along with those scenes and it’s really heartfelt to watch that happen,” he said.

Picking out a live Christmas tree had been a family tradition for the Beckwiths, one they shared with friends of their children and, eventually, their children’s spouses.

Planting their own tree farm seemed the natural way to continue sharing that tradition.

On Nov. 28, families zigzagged through the rows of pines, carefully selecting and cutting down the “perfect” tree. Often, each child would take a turn at the saw, or several siblings would use their collective strength to drag the evergreen to the car.

“It’s like team-building almost, but for the family, it brings everybody closer,” explained Peter Heugel, a member of St. Jude Parish in Indianapolis who was at the farm to select a tree with his family.

For the Beckwiths, too, the business has turned into a team-building opportunity.

The owners’ two children, in-laws and five grandchildren all help to plant around 400 new pines each spring.

When the farm opens for the Christmas season, the whole crew turns out.

“Everybody’s included and gets a job, including the little ones,” said Karen Beckwith.

dogs you reward with treats. He would rather have positive praise and feedback. Of course, teachers have treats in their classrooms, and he knows which classrooms to go to when he wants a treat. And he knows which teachers let him love them a little bit more.”

Before bringing the canine to school, Adams got the OK from the pastor of St. Margaret of Scotland Parish, Msgr.

John Hopkins, a dog owner himself.

The school shares a campus with St. Margaret’s. He also presented his case

to the diocesan superintendent of schools, Louis De Angelo, armed with research.

One of the common goals shared by Adams and Msgr. Hopkins is to clear the Canada geese who congregate on the grounds of the parish and school.

About once a day, Dewey gets a chance to get outside and chase the birds away.

Also, when students are not around, he sometimes gets the opportunity to run around the school’s athletic fields. But most of the time, he’s on a leash if he’s not in Adams’ office.

There, some students come to visit for “Dewey time,” as Adams puts it.

The dog has all the comforts of home there. “He’s got a bed, he’s got his water dish, he has his toys. While I’m working, he’ll just kind of lay down and take a nap.”

Adams got the idea from Salesianum School, an all-boys Catholic high school in Wilmington, which also has a dog. He had done research for several years on the benefits of having a dog in school, and he got Dewey — named after the Delaware beach town — with this in mind.

Parents were notified of Adams’ plan before Dewey first came to school, but only a few asked that their children not take part. But Dewey’s presence has been an overwhelming success.

“It’s been a very well-received program. I’ve gotten many parent emails thanking me for bringing Dewey in and a lot of feedback from the parents saying Dewey’s made a positive impact on their child’s day,” Adams said.

DECEMBER 11, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG

WORLD

11

Pope proclaims year dedicated to St. Joseph

By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service

How to receive an indulgence in the year of St. Joseph

V

ATICAN CITY (CNS) — Marking the 150th anniversary of St. Joseph being declared patron of the universal church, Pope Francis proclaimed a yearlong celebration dedicated to the foster father of Jesus.

In a Dec. 8 apostolic letter, “Patris Corde” (“With a father’s heart”), the pope said Christians can discover in St. Joseph, who often goes unnoticed, “an intercessor, a support and a guide in times of trouble.”

“St. Joseph reminds us that those who appear hidden or in the shadows can play an incomparable role in the history of salvation. A word of recognition and of gratitude is due to them all,” he said.

As Mary’s husband and guardian of the son of God, St. Joseph turned “his human vocation to domestic love into a superhuman oblation of himself, his heart and all his abilities, a love placed at the service of the Messiah who was growing to maturity in his home.”

Despite being troubled at first by Mary’s pregnancy, he added, St. Joseph was obedient to God’s will “regardless of the hardship involved.”

“In every situation, Joseph declared his own ‘fiat,’ like those of Mary at the Annunciation and Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane,” the pope said. “All this makes it clear that St. Joseph was called

by God to serve the person and mission of Jesus directly through the exercise of his fatherhood and that, in this way, he cooperated in the fullness of time in the great mystery of salvation and is truly a minister of salvation.”

St. Joseph’s unconditional acceptance of Mary and his decision to protect her “good name, her dignity and her life” also serves as an example for men today, the pope added.

“Today, in our world where psychological, verbal and physical violence toward women is so evident, Joseph appears as the figure of a respectful and sensitive man,” he wrote.

Pope Francis also highlighted St. Joseph’s “creative courage,” not only in finding a stable and making it a “welcoming home for the son of God [who came] into the world,” but also in protecting Christ from the threat posed by King Herod.

“The Holy Family had to face concrete problems like every other family, like so many of our migrant brothers

T

LEAVEN FILE PHOTO

A statue of St. Jospeh at St. Joseph Church in Nortonville, shows the saint with the traditional lily, as well as a carpenter’s square that symbolizes his occupation but is also a symbol of accuracy and truth. In a Dec. 8 apostolic letter, Pope Francis proclaimed a yearlong celebration dedicated to St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus. and sisters who, today, too, risk their lives to escape misfortune and hunger.

In this regard, I consider St. Joseph the special patron of all those forced to leave their native lands because of war, hatred, persecution and poverty,” the pope said.

As a carpenter who earned “an honest living to provide for his family,” Christ’s earthly guardian is also an example for both workers and those seeking employment and the right to a life

of dignity for themselves and their families.

“In our own day, when employment has once more become a burning social issue, and unemployment at times reaches record levels even in nations that for decades have enjoyed a certain degree of prosperity, there is a renewed need to appreciate the importance of dignified work, of which St. Joseph is an exemplary patron,” he said.

he Apostolic Penitentiary, a Vatican tribunal that deals with matters of conscience, issued a decree Dec. 8 stating that plenary indulgences will be granted to Catholics not only through prayer and penance, but also through acts of justice, charity and piety dedicated to the foster father of Jesus.

Among the conditions for receiving an indulgence are a spirit detached from sin, receiving sacramental confession as soon as possible, receiving Communion as soon as possible and praying for the Holy Father’s intentions.

However, the decree also highlighted several ways to obtain the indulgence throughout the year, including to those who “meditate on the prayer of the ‘Our Father’ for at least 30 minutes or take part in a spiritual retreat of at least one day that includes a meditation on St. Joseph.”

As a “just man,” the document continued, who guarded “the intimate secret that lies at the bottom of the heart and soul,” St. Joseph practiced the virtue of justice in “full adherence to the divine law, which is the law of mercy.”

“Therefore, those who, following the example of St. Joseph, will perform a corporal or spiritual work of mercy, will also be able to obtain the gift of the plenary indulgence,” it said.

Indulgences will also be granted to families and engaged couples who recite the rosary together and thus imitate the “same climate of communion, love and prayer lived in the Holy Family. “ Other acts of devotion include entrusting one’s daily activities and prayers for dignified employment to St. Joseph, reciting the litany or any “legitimately approved” prayer to St. Joseph.

During this time of pandemic, the Apostolic Penitentiary also decreed that special indulgences will be granted to the elderly, the sick and all those who “for legitimate reasons are prevented from leaving their home” by “reciting an act of piety in honor of St. Joseph and committed to fulfilling the conditions as soon as possible.”

Nun, who claims ‘divine help,’ advances to final of MasterChef Brasil

S

AO PAULO (CNS) — A Brazilian nun who has moved into the finals of a TV cooking show said she received “divine help” and prayed the entire time she was cooking.

The “divine help,” she said, helped her notice that the shrimp she was supposed to cook were not deveined.

“If I had left them the way they gave them to me I would not have won,” said Sister Lorayne Caroline Tinti, a member of the Sisters of Our Lady of Resurrection. She prepared shrimp stroganoff and tiramisu for the episode of MasterChef Brasil. Sister Tinti is now scheduled to compete in the show’s 2020 final contest, at the end of December.

“Many people mentioned how calm I was throughout the episode, and I tell them it was because I was praying for Our Lord to help me get through it.

That gave me confidence,” Sister Tinti told Catholic New Service.

Sister Tinti said she learned to cook early, with members of her family.

“My mother, aunt and grandmother always cooked so I learned from them.

My father also was interested in the preparation of food,” she told CNS. Her culinary skills, she noted, improved while living in the order’s mission house in the state of Minas Gerais.

“We had a bakery there which the sisters ran, so I learned about making pastries and bread,” she added.

While looking at her social media, Sister Tinti came across a call for participants for MasterChef Brasil and decided to register.

“I needed authorization and, at first, the mother superior was not very keen on me leaving the convent to go on TV, but the Sisters here convinced her,” she said with a chuckle.

CNS PHOTO/CARLOS REINIS, COURTESY BANDTV

Sister Lorayne Caroline Tinti smiles while holding the trophy for her victory in the 17th episode of MasterChef Brasil Aug. 7. Sister Tinti, a member of the Sisters of Our Lady of Resurrection, is now scheduled to compete in the show’s 2020 final contest at the end of December.

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12 EMPLOYMENT Community live-in assistants - L’Arche Heartland of Overland Park serves adults with developmental and intellectual disabilities in day program support services and in residential services. We are seeking assistants who are looking for a unique opportunity in a faith-based organization. We are in immediate need of live-in assistants and potential live-out assistants to work in our day program serving 30 adults. We have a recycling program and community activities. Our core members participate in distributing for Meals on Wheels and Rise Against Hunger. They also attend community events such as the library, movies, bowling and going to parks. We also have a need for livein and live-out assistants in our five residential homes. If interested, contact Jamie Henderson, community leader, by email at: jamie@larcheks.org.

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She takes great pride in creating a fun, supportive work environment for our team. You will have scheduled planning time (lead teachers), lunch and bathroom breaks. You will have paid professional development each year. Many courses are offered online so you can take them at your convenience. You will earn 10 paid time-off days per year (full-time employees). You will also have six paid holidays.

In addition, our school is closed Dec. 24 - Jan. 1 each year.

This is additional paid time off for our full-time employees to spend with their families. You will qualify for medical, dental and vision benefits after 30 days (full-time employees). Bring your child to work with you. We offer child care discounts for our full-time teachers. We offer tuition reimbursement for teachers to pursue their Child Development associate’s degree. We believe in and follow the Kansas Department of Health and Environment licensing requirements and the Goddard quality assurance standards. We take pride in the quality of care we provide for our families by doing the right thing. The owners are Ascension parishioners. Send resume to: olathe2ks@goddardschools.com, attention: Janice Kennedy.

Full-time assistant teachers - With multiple locations in Johnson County, Special Beginnings Early Learning Center provides high quality child care in a safe, loving Christian environment. With a balanced curriculum of pre-academics and the right environment, we believe we are providing the children the foundation to be successful in life. We are looking for full-time assistant teachers for all ages who have an excellent work ethic, a 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. Duties include supervising and ensuring the safety and well-being of the children at all times; following predetermined curriculum and daily schedule; decorating the class and keeping classrooms clean and orderly; creating and filling out daily reports for each child; communicating with parents; meeting children’s basic needs (diapers, bottles, etc). Must be patient and able to respond to difficult situations calmly; have good interpersonal skills with coworkers, parents and children; and be able to lift 25 pounds on a regular basis. There are opportunities for career advancement. Salary range is $9.50 - 11.50 per hour. For more information or to apply, call Carolyn Andruss at (913) 894-0131, option 3.

Career opportunity - Due to the growth of the Knights of Columbus, we are looking for professional men who are interested in helping fellow Catholics with their faith, family and finances. This is a full-time career opportunity that will allow you to be your own boss and a respected professional member of the community. If you or someone you know is self-motivated, good with time management and has a desire to succeed, this might be the opening you’ve been looking for. Benefits include unlimited professional income potential, flexibility, quality training program and incentive award trips such as Rome, Hawaii and Ireland. There are openings in northeast Kansas and western Missouri. If you want to serve your community, strengthen the church and change the world, call John Mahon at our regional office at (785) 408-8800 or toll free at (855) 356-4849.

Groundskeeping position - 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 or being mechanically inclined would be a plus. Must be a fast learner and flexible on hours. Interested individuals should contact Matt Wirtz at (913) 972-2952 or you may send a resume to: svallejo@cathcemks.org.

Part-time or full-time help - The Garden Store in the River Market is looking for part- or full-time help. Flexible hours. No garden experience required. Please call (816) 842-3651 and ask for Debi.

Bookkeeping services for the very small business - I provide bookkeeping services to very small businesses, specializing in QuickBooks Online. I can help with accounting cleanup, reconciliations, payment processing, payroll and many other tasks. Many small business owners are great at what they do but need a bit of help on financials.

Take that stress away and get your books right so you can end the year in the clear. Certified Quick Books Online ProAdvisor with very low rates. Call (913) 322-2655 for a free consultation or email to: Erin.Georgellc@gmail.com.

Coordinator of pastoral care - The Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth (SCLs) are currently seeking a coordinator of pastoral care. At the heart of the ministry of pastoral care is the ability to be truly present to each Sister and establish a good rapport with the Sisters and staff at the motherhouse and in our skilled nursing facility. It is a ministry of presence and active/attentive listening. The ideal candidate will possess a clinical pastoral education certificate or professional certificate in spiritual gerontology or an equivalent combination of education and experience. This position will provide pastoral visits with each Sister to form, establish and maintain relationships.

Awareness of the unique role of a religious community coupled with some knowledge of the SCL mission and understanding of the culture of Catholicism are preferred. To view the full job description, visit our website at: www.scls.org. If you possess the desired qualifications and would like to work for a truly wonderful and outstanding religious community, email a cover letter with salary requirements and your resume to: recruiting @scls.org. EOE Caregivers needed - Daughters & Company, a non- medical, companion care provider is looking for several compassionate caregivers to provide assistance to ambulatory seniors in their home at this time. We provide light housekeeping, light meal preparation, organizational assistance, care management and occasional transportation services for our clients. Caregivers need to have reliable transportation and a cellphone for communication. We typically employ on a part-time basis, but will strive to match up hours desired per week. Please contact Laurie or Gary at (913) 341-2500, or send resume to: ghamilton@daughters online.com if you would like to become part of an excellent caregiving team.

Service technician - Are you a retiree who is looking for part-time work? We are looking for someone who is mechanically skilled and is handy with small equipment.

Our local, small, family-owned company needs technicians with a positive attitude, time management skills, dependable, self-motivated, results-oriented and, above all, adaptable. This team member would be trainable with exceptional relationship building skills. Electrical knowledge is a plus. Some regional travel is required so dependable transportation is a must. Please send your resume to: Yourcareer101@gmail.com.

Getting life insurance is an act of love - As a Catholic agent, I have seen the use of life insurance in action many times. Losing someone, no matter their age, is a sad and overwhelming experience. Being left behind with financial burdens makes it even worse. Life insurance delivers a tax-free dollar amount to fulfill specific needs or purposes. I can help you get started. Please call (816) 431-6500 or visit us at: www.JEOrozco.com.

Part-time caregiver/companion - Senior couple living in their home needs part-time caregiver/companion. Nursing background desirable; able to accompany to medical appointments; monitor vitals; and monitor medications and supplemental oxygen. Light housekeeping, including taking trash to corner on trash removal days, laundry, vacuum, help plan meals, oversee questions regarding mail. 7-14 hours per week. Schedule to be determined based on weekly needs. May be asked to respond to off-hours visits should the need arise. Individual must be caring, honest, mature, able to work flexible hours and have own transportation.

Contact Mary at (215) 733-9600.

Employment opportunity - Catholic Cemeteries is seeking a friendly, energetic, detail-oriented person for a fulltime receptionist position with our organization. Must be professional and extremely organized. The ideal candidate will have experience with MS Word, Excel and the ability to handle multiple phone lines. Spanish speaking is a plus. Required hours are 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., Monday Friday. Interested individuals should contact Kayla at (913) 344-7505 or send a resume to: kardon@cathcemks.org.

Parish life coordinator - Church of the Ascension in Overland Park is seeking a full-time parish life coordinator. The qualified candidate will have strong organizational and communication skills with a commitment to promoting the spirituality of stewardship. A role description is available on request. For further information, contact Father Tom Tank at: frtom@kcascension.org or Sharon Weems at: sweems@kcascension.org.

Assistant coordinator of communal life - The Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth (SCLs) are currently seeking an assistant coordinator of communal life. The position will assist the coordinator and work in consultation with the communal life team in providing a holistic approach to meet the needs of the Sisters. The ideal candidate will possess education and/or experience in formal social work, theology, spirituality and gerontology. Awareness of the unique role of a religious community coupled with some knowledge of the SCL mission and understanding of the culture of Catholicism are preferred. To view the full job description, visit the website at: www.scls.org. If you possess the desired qualifications and would like to work for a wonderful and outstanding religious community, email a cover letter with salary requirements and your resume to: recruiting@scls.org. EOE Substitute teacher - Miege is seeking a long-term substitute teacher for the family and consumer science department for in-person learning from mid-February through the end of May. The candidate will be teaching foods, interior design and child development. Send letter of interest and resume to: mjaksa@bishopmiege.com.

Parish and community outreach coordinator - Make an impact as a parish and community outreach coordinator. You will assist in the implementation of an effective outreach program with a focus on parishes and schools within the 21 counties of the archdiocese. Visit: catholic charitiesks.org/careers/ and scroll down to “View Job Openings” to learn more about this opportunity!

Youth minister and confirmation coordinator - St. Ann

DECEMBER 11, 2O2O | THELEAVEN.ORG

Church in Prairie Village has an immediate opening for a Christ-centered, innovative and passionate individual to serve as youth minister and confirmation coordinator. The primary responsibility of the youth minister will be to engage the parish’s middle school youth (fifth - eighth grade) and form them into intentional disciples of Jesus Christ.

As confirmation coordinator, this individual will instruct seventh- and eighth-graders at both St. Ann School and St. Ann School of Religion in their Catholic faith; communicate with candidates, sponsors and parents about their responsibilities; and coordinate the confirmation liturgy under the direction of the pastor. The youth minister and confirmation coordinator is an approximately 30 hour per week position and is eligible for a full range of benefits provided through the archdiocese. Those individuals interested in the position should email a cover letter and resume highlighting their qualifications to Father Craig Maxim at: frcraig@stannpv.org.

Drivers and aides - Assisted Transportation is now hiring safe drivers and aides to transport students with special needs in Johnson, Wyandotte and Clay County, Missouri, in company vans. Drivers earn $14 - $16 per hour. Aides earn $12 per hour. Part-time and full-time schedules available. CDL not required. Retirees encouraged to apply.

Make a difference in your community by helping those in need. Call (913) 521-4955 for more information. EEO

CAREGIVING 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.

Caregiver - Caregiver needed in Wyandotte County for a month, from the end of December through January.

This position is temporary, part time. Call Pam at (913) 602-1289.

Looking for assisted living at home? - Before you move, call us and explore our in-home care options. We specialize in helping families live safely at home while saving thousands of dollars per year. Call today for more information or to request a FREE home care planning guide. Benefits of Home - Senior Care, www.benefits ofhome.com or call (913) 422-1591.

Temporary residence - Retired woman needs temporary residence until spring. No pets. Call Pam at (913) 602-1289.

Caring companion - I am a certified nursing assistant with 10-plus years experience with stroke, Alzheimer’s, dementia patients. I assist with personal care services and offer nonemergency, medical transportation. Call (816) 786-1093.

SERVICES Tree Trimming Licensed and insured Free estimates/10 years experience Call Tony at (913) 620-6063 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.teresakiddlaw.com. Please do not wait until life seems hopeless before getting good quality legal advice that may solve your financial stress.

Doll clothes - Looking for gifts for girls with 18” or American Girl dolls? Big selection of dressy clothes, sportswear, sleepwear and accessories. Also have clothes for 14” or Bitty Baby dolls, also boy clothes and Wellie Wishers. Call (913) 345-9498 to set up a time to shop.

Housecleaning - A range of services provided — from housecleaning to organizing closets, rooms and garages, as well as hoarder projects. 15 years’ experience. Professional, energetic and dependable. Call Joni at (913) 2064403.

Handyman - Furloughed railroader just trying to keep the bills paid for my little family. I advertised here as Father and Son Home Exteriors and Remodeling for 13 years before working for the railroad last year. I can do all carpentry, windows, doors, trim, siding and decks. I can paint, sheetrock and love to do tile. Just about any project you have around your home, I can do. No project too big or too small. Just give me a call at (913) 709-7230 and ask for Josh.

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.

Cleaning lady - Reasonable rates; references provided.

Call (913) 209-9234.

Clinical therapist - LCPC treats trauma, PTSD, complex PTSD; EMDR-trained. Treats adult recovery from child abuse; anxiety reduction through emotion-regulation, distress tolerance and mindfulness. Also treats couples with wounded attachments. Sliding scale. Call Donna Constantineau, LCTC, at (913) 602-1415.

Garage Door Repair New Garage Doors Platinum Amarr dealer, Elite Home Advisor top rating.

Call Joe, mention The Leaven discount.

A Total Door (913) 236-6440.

Custom countertops - Laminates installed within five

days. Cambria, granite and solid surface. Competitive prices, dependable work. Call the Top Shop, Inc., at (913) 962-5058. Members of St. Joseph, Shawnee.

8 to Your IdealWeight Get Real, Get Healthy, Get Empowered Take back your power and release weight, fatigue and joint pain without hunger or cravings!

Call or text Kathi at (816) 809-7739 Email: imagewellness2@gmail.com Memory quilts - Preserve your memories in a keepsake quality quilt, pillows, etc. Custom designed from your Tshirt collection, baby clothes, sports memorabilia, neckties . . . Quilted Memories. (913) 649-2704.

Speedy Guzman Moving and delivery Licensed and insured Anytime (816) 935-0176 Masonry work - Quality new or repair work. Brick, block and chimney/fireplace repair. Insured; second-generation bricklayer. Member of St. Paul Parish, Olathe. Call (913) 829-4336.

HOME IMPROVEMENT 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.

Popcorn texture removed and apply knockdown texture Renew your walls with a fresh coat of quality paint!

Cracks repaired.

Fully insured, serving Kansas for 27 years Call or text Jerry at (913) 206-1144.

Concrete construction - Tear out and replace stamped, stained or colored patios and drives. Retaining walls, footings, poured-in-place safe rooms, excavation and hauling. Asphalt drives and lots. Fully insured; references. Call Dan at (913) 207-4371 or send an email to: dandeeconst@aol.com.

Local handyman - Painting int. and ext., wood rot, power washing, staining, masonry (chimney repair, patios) gutter cleaning, water heaters, junk removal, lawn mowing, window cleaning, honey - do list and more!! Member of Holy Angels Parish, Basehor. Call Billy at (913) 927-4118.

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

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

Everything is guaranteed 100% (913) 461-4052 www.windowservicesoverlandpark.com drcconswindows@gmail.com Painting - Diamond Painting, (913) 648-4933, Residential/Commercial, Exterior/interior, Free Estimate, Affordable, Decks, DiamondPaintKc.com, Kcmo/Overland Park Metropolitan area.

STA (Sure Thing Always) Home Repair - Basement finish, bathrooms and kitchens; interior & exterior repairs: painting, roofing, siding, wood replacement and window glazing. Free estimates. Call (913) 579-1835.

Email: smokeycabin@hotmail.com. Member of Holy Trinity, Lenexa.

EL SOL Y LA TIERRA *Commercial & residential * Lawn renovation *Mowing * Clean-up and hauling * Dirt grading/installation * Landscape design * Free estimates Hablamos y escribimos Ingles!! www.elsolylatierra.com Call Lupe at (816) 935-0176

WANTED TO BUY Wanted to buy - Antique/vintage jewelry, paintings, pottery, sterling, etc. Single pieces or estate. Renee Maderak, (913) 475-7393. St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee.

Wanted to buy - If you have an extra car you don’t know what to do with, give us a call. We are a cash buyer. Call Mark at (913) 980-4905.

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 - Old cars or hot rods. Uncompleted project cars in any condition, with or without titles. Cash buyer. Call (913) 980-3559.

FOR SALE HOLY ART Religious items and church supplies Made in Italy http://www.holyart.com Residential lifts - New and recycled. Stair lifts, porch

>> Classifieds continue on page 13

CALENDAR

DECEMBER 11, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG

Xavier students, Sisters nurture friendship >> Continued from page 3 memories. It helps the students to have photos to relate to their SCL prayer buddies.”

Hartegan describes this commitment to pray for one another as helping expand the concept of service for the students.

“The students learn that praying for one another is a form of service,” she said.

The prayer buddy project definitely helps nurture connectivity.

Meyer reports that kindergartners seemed particularly excited about their Sister photo cards. Some Sisters have already written notes to their prayer partners.

Also as part of Mother Xavier Awareness Week, the teachers produced a video and shared the link with the Sisters. The video intersperses quotes from Mother Xavier read by students and scenes of key events in the foundress’ life depicted by faculty. Capping off the video is a sound bite of students telling the Sisters — and perhaps Mother Xavier — “Thank you, and we love you.”

The week concluded with a Mass to commemorate Mother Xavier and Founders’ Day that was livestreamed to both classrooms and the motherhouse.

ROSARY RALLY IN HONOR OF OUR LADY OF FATIMA St. Mary-St. Anthony Parish 615 N. 7th St., Kansas City, Kansas Dec. 13 from 3 - 4:15 p.m.

We will pray the joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries of the rosary. Benediction will follow, as well as an opportunity for attendees to enroll in the brown scapular.

For more information, visit the website at: www.rosaryrallieskc.org.

‘ORA ET LABORA’ RETREAT FOR HIGH SCHOOL/COLLEGE STUDENTS Christ’s Peace House of Prayer 22131 Meagher Rd., Easton

Christ’s Peace House of Prayer has openings for applicants to participate in an “Ora et Labora” retreat, designed for high school and college students who are looking for a fun and unique way to fulfill community service hours or simply have a new experience. There is no charge for this retreat. Masks and social distancing are implemented at this time.

Invite friends and schedule a date for a prayer and working retreat designed to your needs.

Contact us if interested at (913) 773-8255 or by email at: info@christspeace.com.

JANUARY RETREAT FOR PLANNING AND REFLECTION Christ’s Peace House of Prayer 22131 Meagher Rd., Easton Jan. 8 - 10

The retreat begins at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 8 and ends at 4:30 p.m. on Jan. 10. Set aside this time to focus on spiritual growth, create growth goals for various roles, devise steps to reach goals and write a vision statement for the year. The structure of the retreat will allow ample time for you to do work on your plan. We will be providing resources and ideas to incorporate in your plan. There will

be time to brainstorm and share our plans with others as well as time to meet with a spiritual director if you prefer to speak on an individual basis. There will be private time for prayer/reflection, daily eucharistic adoration and praying the Liturgy of the Hours. Confession and Mass at the local parish will also be available. The suggested donation for cabins/courtyard rooms is $170 single/$250 couple or $100 for single guest rooms; meals included. To attend, send an email to: info@ christspeace.com or call (913) 773-8255.

KANSAS MASS, MARCH AND RALLY FOR LIFE Jan 21 From the Topeka Performing Arts Center to the state Capitol Mass at 10:30 a.m.; March at noon

All are invited to join in the March for Life from the Topeka Performing Arts Center to the state Capitol for the Kansans for Life Rally at the Capitol steps. Stay tuned for more detailed information and the livestream links.

Visit the website at: www.archkck.org/pro life for updated information and details on the day’s event. The 10:30 a.m. Mass with the Kansas bishops will be livestreamed.

HOLIDAY HEROES FOR FOSTER CHILDREN Nov. 30 – Dec. 18

Christmas will be here before we know it and KVC, a nonprofit child welfare agency, is in great need of Holiday Heroes to sponsor children for Christmas. It has approximately 2,500 children across the state hoping for a good Christmas this year. The KVC team is collecting gift cards, presents and monetary donations from Nov. 30 – Dec. 18. For more information, visit the website at: kansas.kvc. org, click on “Events” in the menu bar, and then “Holiday Heroes.”

13 >> Continued from page 12 lifts, ceiling lifts and elevators. St. Michael’s parishioners. KC Lift & Elevator at (913) 327-5557. (Formerly Silver Cross - KC) For sale - Three plots overlooking the lake at Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens in Kansas City, Kansas. Each space $3900. If interested, call or text Jan at (913) 593-1854.

For sale - Inside tandem space for two traditional entombments. Tier F, Mount calvary Mausoleum, Holy Trinity in Topeka, last ones available. Call (785) 215-9540 or (785) 580-3928.

REAL ESTATE Rental properties - Getting into this kind of investment can be scary. How about if you could have access to a seasoned investor after the sale as a consultant? I am selling some of my investments that are in the KCMO area that you might be interested in. I am not a realtor, but I have owned these properties for a long time. Call (785) 883-2936, leave me your contact information and I will return your call within 24 hours.

Whole Estates Need to sell a home and everything in it?

We buy it all at once in as-is condition.

Call (816) 444-1950 or send an email to: www.wholeestates.com.

We Buy houses and whole estates - We are local and family owned, and will make you a fair cash offer. We buy houses in any condition. No fees or commissions and can close on the date of your choice. Selling your house as is never felt so good. Jon & Stacy Bichelmeyer (913) 599-5000 CASH FOR YOUR HOME (913) 980-4905 Any condition in the metro area Mark Edmondson - local parishioner http://www.buykcproperty.com

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING The Leaven reaches approximately 50,000 subscribers.

Cost is $20 for the first five lines, $1.50 per line thereafter.

To purchase a Leaven classified ad, email The Leaven at: beth.blankenship@theleaven.org.

14

COLUMNISTS

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised

DAILY READINGS THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT Dec. 13 THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT Is 61: 1-2a, 10-11 (Ps) Lk 1: 46-50, 53-54 1 Thes 5: 16-24 Jn 1: 6-8, 19-28 Dec. 14 John of the Cross, priest, doctor of the church Nm 24: 2-7, 15-17a Ps 25: 4-5ab, 6, 7bc, 8-9 Mt 21: 23-27 Dec. 15 Tuesday Zep 3: 1-2, 9-13 Ps 34: 2-3, 6-7, 17-18, 19, 23 Mt 21: 28-32 Dec. 16 Wednesday Is 45: 6b-8, 18, 21c-25 Ps 85: 9ab, 10-14 Lk 7: 18b-23 Dec. 17 Thursday Gn 49: 2, 8-10 Ps 72: 3-4, 7-8, 17 Mt 1: 1-17 Dec. 18 Friday Jer 23: 5-8 Ps 72: 1-2, 12-13, 18-19 Mt 1: 18-25 Dec. 19 Saturday Jgs 13: 2-7, 24-25a Ps 71: 3-4a, 5-6b, 16-17 Lk 1: 5-25

Thomas the Apostle First century Named among the Twelve Apostles in all four Gospels, Thomas figured prominently in several stories in John.

He said he was ready to die with Jesus, that he didn’t know where Jesus was going and so couldn’t follow, and famously doubted a post-Resurrection appearance until he himself saw the risen Lord. For this, history has called him “doubting Thomas,” but his name remains among the most popular Christian names.

Four apocryphal writings were attributed to Thomas, and in church tradition, he evangelized in Syria, Persia (now Iran) and India. Indian Catholics believe he was martyred and buried there. Thomas is the patron saint of India, builders and the blind.

I

t was the most expensive bottle of hand sanitizer ever. And that’s odd, because it was actually on sale.

Here’s the deal: For years now, my parish has set up “angel trees,” to sponsor needy families for Christmas. Due to the pandemic, all of the “angels” this year represented gift cards in various amounts, rather than other presents.

After the weekend Masses, there were two angels left, so I decided to take care of them. Since a friend’s birthday was coming up, I headed to Target to buy a card and pick up those gift cards.

This was a major decision because I’ve refrained from shopping in person since the pandemic started.

Once masked up, I entered the store and saw a kiosk with gift cards. I grabbed two

O

DECEMBER 11, 2O2O | THELEAVEN.ORG

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.

then headed to the greeting card section.

I quickly picked out a birthday card and set off for the checkout counter. Along the way, though, my impulse buying gene kicked in . . . and that was to be my undoing.

I didn’t need hand sanitizer, but since it was by the checkout

counter — and on sale!

— I picked up a bottle.

The clerk rang up my purchases. After getting my change, I scooped up the sack and left. My mind was already anticipating my next stop: carryout at Jose Peppers.

When I got home, I grabbed the Target bag and my food. After eating, I went to get the hand sanitizer. I reached into the bag and, surprise, that was the only thing in there — no gift cards, no birthday card!

Certain they’d just

dropped out of the sack, I checked for them in the car. Nada!

Then, it occurred to me that the clerk probably put the birthday card and the gift cards in a separate bag that I’d not seen or picked up.

I was livid. The two main things I’d “risked my life for” I didn’t have. And what I did have, the hand sanitizer, I didn’t really need and hadn’t intended to buy. Even though I knew it was a lost cause, I called the store to see if some good-hearted person had turned in the missing items. No such luck. And the dishonesty of the human race made me even madder.

As I was stomping around my house, two things struck me.

First, I knew I had only myself and my inattentiveness to blame for this fiasco.

Secondly, the often-repeated words of Pope

Francis came to mind: Our God is a “God of surprises.”

This caused me to re-imagine my “loss.”

Those gift cards would not go to waste: They’d be used — not by the people I’d intended them for, but by someone. And, just suppose that the person behind me at Target was saying a silent prayer, lamenting that it was someone’s birthday and they couldn’t afford a card or gift for them. Imagine their wonder in opening up their Target bag to find not just what they prayed for, but two gift cards!

That thought made me laugh. And maybe, come Judgment Day, the Lord will commend me for being his unwitting — and unwilling — Advent angel in Target that day.

Surprise, surprise, surprise!

Follow the Advent saint into gratitude

n the Third Sunday of Advent, traditionally known as Gaudete Sunday, the church invites us to recover a spirit of gratitude, expressed in love of those in need and those close to us.

As this unprecedented year ends, God’s word reminds us to be thankful for the gift of faith that sustains us through the uncertainties of this time. To renew in us an Advent spirit of gratitude, there are many examples of those who persevere through suffering in body, mind and spirit during this challenging year.

Take Anthony, a 93-year-old World War II Navy veteran from New York, who contracted the virus in the early months of the pandemic. At his age,

,

JEM SULLIVAN Sullivan is a professor at The Catholic University of America.

the chances of recovery were slim, yet his eight children insisted on home care so he would not suffer or die alone in a hospital.

Two of his daughters took care of him, day and night, and were eventually infected with the virus.

Gradually, Anthony recovered as he was strengthened by his

family. He expressed his gratitude to God when he said, “God has always been good to me . . . and my daughters were right there the whole time taking such good care of me.

They were angels looking out for me.”

In the Gospel, John the Baptist, the Advent saint, says he is “the voice of one crying out in the desert, ‘make straight the way of the Lord.’” All that we have comes from the loving hand of God, and if we ponder carefully, there is no limit to what we could be grateful to God for. Precisely in this

tumultuous year we see how God’s constant love, unrelenting mercy and providential care makes straight the crooked paths of human existence.

This Sunday’s responsorial psalm is taken from Mary’s hymn of praise, known as the Magnificat. We hear Mary, exultant in grateful prayer, teaching us how to pray with a heart of thanksgiving to God. We join in Mary’s prayer saying, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”

We take to heart the words of Isaiah who says: “I rejoice heartily in the Lord, in my God is the joy of my soul,” and St. Paul’s encouragement to the Philippians: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I shall say it again: Rejoice!”

It’s not too late to begin the spiritual

journey of Advent. Offering to God a simple prayer of thanksgiving for the minor and major gifts of life is one way to get back on the spiritual track you may have hoped to travel this Advent.

As the hectic pace of the season leaves little time for prayer and spiritual preparation, we may be tempted to discouragement. But God’s word reaches into our lives again to renew us with Advent hope and joy.

We are called, once again, into the great mystery of God’s incarnation in human history with its divine promise of healing and transformation in God. If we have lagged behind, we can still begin our Advent preparations, believing that God’s word fills us with Advent gratitude to say confidently: “Speak to me, Lord.”

At Mass with new cardinals, pope warns against worldliness VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Concelebrating Mass with newly created cardinals, Pope Francis said Advent is a time to be vigilant, hopeful and helpful.

People of faith who believe in the heaven that awaits them should not be caught up with earthly concerns, he said during a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica Nov. 29, the First Sunday of Advent, which marks the start of a new liturgical year.

“Why should we be anxious about money, fame, success, all of which will fade away? Why should we waste time complaining about the night, when the light of day awaits us?” he asked.

The Mass was celebrated the day after Pope Francis created 13 new cardinals from eight different nations.

In his homily, Pope Francis said the two key phrases for the Advent season were God’s

closeness and people’s vigilance against indifference and mediocrity. Advent reminds people that God came down “to dwell in our midst” and that they must always call for his assistance, he said.

“The first step of faith is to tell God that we need him” and to ask that he “come close to us once more,” the pope said. “God wants to draw close to us, but he will not impose himself; it is up to us to keep saying to him: ‘Come!’”

COLUMNISTS

DECEMBER 11, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG

15

Advent season of waiting can also be a season of growing

“M

ay he not come suddenly and find you sleeping. What I say to you, I say to all: ‘Watch!’” (Mk 13:36-37) Those last words from the Gospel of Mark for the First Sunday of Advent really hit home. What are we going to do to “prepare the way of the Lord”?

During this time, we can’t use the excuse of pandemic to “not be ready.” We may be in lockdown; that doesn’t mean we’ll be locked out.

While it is a time of waiting and preparing, it can also be a time of growing as a family in

K

RICK CHEEK Rick Cheek is the associate consultant for the office of evangelization and Catholic formation of youth.

faith and love knowing there is a beautiful gift at the end, the gift of Jesus.

Take time to set up a prayer space with an

Advent wreath. Each night, offer prayers of thanksgiving, as well as prayers for those whose holidays may not be full of joy or promise.

Just like during Lent, you can have a jar set up on your kitchen counter where all spare change can be collected.

an ornament to match each title.

We’ve also decorated a Nativity tree, covered only in stars and angels, with our Nativity set up below the tree. When you finish decorating the tree, gather the family and bless your tree with holy water.

While there are many ways to celebrate as you prepare for Jesus’ coming, first and foremost we must celebrate the sacraments — especially reconciliation.

Without regional penance services this Advent due to pandemic restrictions, you will need to check your own parish for confession times. If you have to, make one

appointment for the whole family. Priests are adding more times to accommodate parishioners.

If you’re still struggling for ideas on how to better observe Advent, be sure to sign up for our “Tuesday’s Toolbox,” put out twice a month by our office and the office of children’s catechesis (use this link to sign up: lp. constantcontactpages. com/su/owfW5tb).

If you have a faith formation idea or resource that you’ve used and want to share, send us an email at: priordan@archkck.org or youth2@archkck. org. We’ll review and share it.

Happy Advent!

Refocus your faith through the Eucharist this Advent

eeping our focus has been indispensable in negotiating and surviving this pandemic.

Even with news of vaccines on the way, by most estimates we’ve still got a ways to go.

And keeping a solid focus is key to enduring, just as keeping our focus on the essentials of our faith is necessary to finishing the race, as St. Paul put it. He knew the focus God intends for each of us: life eternal in Jesus Christ.

And the church herself presents us the opportunity each day to renew that singular focus through the celebration of the holy Eucharist. As I mentioned in my last

“C

DO WHATEVER HE TELLS YOU

Also, think about giving up little things that you really enjoy doing this time of year: eating out, fancy coffees, ice skating — and put the money that would have been spent on those activities in the jar.

At the end of the Advent season, donate that money to a family in need or Catholic Charities.

When you decorate your Christmas tree this year, pick a theme with Christ in mind.

In past years, my wife Rebecca has decorated our tree with “titles of Jesus” from Scripture: King of Kings, Prince of Peace, Lion of Judah, Light of the World, etc.

Be creative and make

an you believe people are putting their Christmas decorations up already?” an acquaintance asked me the first week of November. “I’m used to the stores starting Christmas earlier and earlier every year, but not my family or friends.”

I paused to think.

“Yes, I can believe it,” I replied.

Here’s why: 2020 has been a difficult year for almost everyone I know.

We are exhausted (or is it just me?). We are digging deep. We are leaning into difficulties and obstacles we could never have imagined.

AS THE CHURCH PRAYS

MICHAEL PODREBARAC Michael Podrebarac is the archdiocesan consultant for the office of liturgy and sacramental life.

column, there are four chief ends to the Mass, all other things being subordinate to these: adoration, atonement, thanksgiving and petition.

These are the lenses through which we are called to focus and refocus our entire Christian life.

Adoration, because what Jesus did more than anything else was to give glory to his Father. In Christ, we, too, are given the mission of giving glory to God our Father by cooperation with the Holy Spirit. In the

Mass, the Holy Spirit prepares us to receive the mysteries of salvation, recalls those mysteries and makes them present — that we may adore the living God. Atonement, because what Jesus did on the cross was to offer himself to his Father in order to redeem us sinners, that we might die to sin.

At Mass, we are grounded in our belief that Christ has overcome sin and death for us, and we are called to offer his cross of atonement for the forgiveness of sins — for our own sins, lovingly for our neighbor’s sins and even the sins of the world.

Thanksgiving, because even during the

time of his suffering before receiving his cross, he often began, “Father, I thank you.”

We perhaps already know that the word “Eucharist” itself means “to give thanks.” For our creation, our salvation and all the blessings of our lives, we give thanks to the Lord our God, the source of every blessing.

Petition, because Jesus prayed for his disciples while on earth and intercedes for us even now at the right hand of the Father. “As I have done for you, so you must do for one another,” Jesus said after washing his disciples’ feet.

We must imitate him — not only in our actions, but by our

prayerful affection for one another. And we enjoy the privilege of asking the Father for whatever we need — and he hears and answers us according to his perfect will.

Not one of us can credibly deny that we have not been blessed by our heavenly Father. The Mass is for us the privileged place to offer all our petitions and to trust in God’s love and mercy.

The Mass has a particular, four-fold focus.

The church endeavors that we do everything possible to keep this focus above every other consideration.

We will consider, next time, ways we might sometimes lose that focus.

Finding light in a weary world

GUEST COMMENTARY KAREN BONAR

Karen Bonar is the editor of The Register, newspaper of the Diocese of Salina. This originally appeared in the Nov. 27 issue of that paper.

And we need some hope.

Luckily, the church provides us hope in a liturgical sense with Advent. Each year, the four weeks leading up to Christmas are set aside with the invitation to each of us to prayerfully prepare and wait in joyful hope for the coming of Christ.

When I look ahead

to 2021, I wonder, “Will it be more of the same?

More sleepless nights?

More anticipation and concern about remote school starting at the flip of a switch? More division in our country?

Our families?”

If I’m being completely honest, it’s difficult to feel anything but weary these days.

This makes me think of a line from the song “O Holy Night” that says, “A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices.”

I’m absolutely weary, but am I rejoicing?

As 2020 marches toward Dec. 31, I’ve spent some time reflecting and comparing it to the close of 2019. It was

a tough year for me. I had a sinus infection for four months and closed out 2019 with a bout of whooping cough — just for fun (sigh, not really).

At the close of 2019, I was looking forward with eager anticipation, with joy, to 2020.

I was going to be healthy. Things were going to be different and look up. I felt like there was an abundance of hype about a new decade.

Then, COVID-19 happened across our country and around the world.

Yes, my family and I celebrated some fun “firsts” in 2020, such as my son’s first trip on an airplane, the first full

week of vacation out of state in many years and the first time to receive awards from the Catholic Press Association.

There were some good times, but I felt more weary than rewarded in 2020.

As I write this, it’s two weeks before Thanksgiving, and I’ve started to notice Christmas trees going up in my neighbors’ front windows. I see Christmas lights being hung on their homes. (I never took the singular strand of lights down from our house last year, so we’re ready for Christmas!)

I paused to reflect if this early preparation I’m seeing bothers me:

Christmas in early November.

Honestly, I go back to my earlier comment.

In a weary world, I feel like we need some hope. We need some light. We need some joy.

The season of Christmas certainly encompasses all of those things.

As the days grow shorter and nightfall comes earlier, let’s place our Advent wreaths on our dining room tables.

Let’s dim the lights.

Let’s light each candle.

Let’s see the tiny flame and prepare for the fire of Christ that will come at Christmas.

I know it’s difficult, but together we can find a little hope.

16

LOCAL NEWS

T

DECEMBER 11, 2O2O | THELEAVEN.ORG

Building your nest egg early: a 401(k) primer A

he pandemic seems to have changed just about everything about employment in America — where we work, if we work. Does this change the savings strategy of young people entering the workplace?

The Leaven asked Nancy Mellard, of CBIZ Benefits & Insurance Services.

. When starting out, most retirement plans offer mutual funds as investment options. These funds offer diverse investments and are professionally managed by the employer/ plan sponsor. Individual stocks may be risky, as they can produce concentrated stock portfolios. A diversified approach is common for most investors.

Q

Q

. Young workers watching their 401(k)s rise and fall over this pandemic year are asking if there is another — more reliable — way to save for retirement.

How have Americans traditionally saved for retirement in the past, and why do 401(k)s play a significant role in retirement savings today?

. What then? Should they follow the stock market and check their balance frequently?

A

. If you set up a diversified portfolio based upon your projected retirement age and risk tolerance, some financial consultants recommend reviewing retirement account statements quarterly. That does not mean you should not check balances if you are curious. However, the most successful investors review it annually.

For those retirement plan investors that do not want to do a lot of homework, most plans offer target date funds. Target date funds are professionally managed portfolios that have a glide path. This feature readjusts the portfolio to become more conservative as retirement nears.

A

. Historically, many workers were covered by pension plans whereby the employer/plan sponsor was responsible for saving for retirement, not the employee. This pension, coupled with Social Security, funded most retirements.

Over time, pension benefits were reduced and plans were terminated.

Instead, employees were given the opportunity to save for retirement using a 401(k) plan. With the 401(k), or the 403(b) in the case of nonprofits, the employee is responsible for deciding how much to contribute from their paycheck and how to invest the money.

Some financial consultants counsel clients on how to use contribution plans as an important part of retirement funding.

Q. Should a young person just

starting out open a 401(k)?

A. Absolutely! You cannot control

the market, but years of saving with a 401(k) can make a big difference.

As young employees determine how much to save from their paychecks, they should keep in mind that 401(k) contributions can reduce their tax bill.

They should also increase their 401(k) savings as their income increases annually. Some plans make annual increases easy and efficient with as little as 1% per year. For example, if a young person budgets a 5% deferral now, they can choose an auto escalation feature to increase that amount to 6% the following year. This is a great way to build your nest egg.

Q.

People often delay starting a 401(k) because they’ll have to answer questions they don’t know the answers to. So, let’s start with an easy one. Should they start with an employer plan if available?

NEED HELP HEALING FROM A PAST ABORTION?

Q

. What is the most important thing a young investor should consider when investing in turbulent times?

SUBMITTED PHOTO

Nancy Mellard, the executive vice president and general counsel for the Benefits & Insurance Division of CBIZ, Inc., talked with The Leaven about the ins and outs of 401(k)s.

A. Yes, they should contact their

company’s HR department and ask how to start. Most employers/plan sponsors make this easy for employees.

Q

. What if they don’t plan to stay at that job long? Is that still your advice?

A. They should begin saving re-

gardless of whether they think the job will be over a short or long term.

Remember, saving with a 401(k) is typically better over longer periods.

Additionally, some employees stay at companies longer than expected, so putting it off would not benefit them in the long run. Employees can transfer their 401(k) balance to the next employer or to an IRA rollover account if they decide to move on in their career to another employer.

Q.

What if their employer doesn’t offer one?

A

. Have a discussion with HR to see if any plans might be offered in the future. The employee can also contribute to individual IRAs to begin building that retirement nest egg.

Q.

Would you recommend a

tax-deferred option or a Roth?

What is the difference?

A

. Every situation is different. In general, a regular contribution to a retirement plan is before tax. Simply stated, if you put $1,000 into a plan, your taxable income on your W-2 will be $1,000 less. This means you will not pay tax on the money you put into a plan. Employees must pay the tax when they withdraw funds from a retirement account. An employee that withdraws funds before age 59 and a half could be subject to a 10% penalty and tax on the withdrawal. Most retirement investors wait until after that age to withdraw funds.

With a Roth, contributions are made after tax. If your plan has a Roth feature and you contribute $1,000, your W-2 income will not be reduced by $1,000.

However, when you take the funds out at retirement (at least five years after contributing), the funds withdrawn are tax free. If you expect to be in a lower tax bracket, a Roth account may make sense. Some retirement investors strive to have both Roth and non-Roth retirement accounts to provide flexibility for income tax planning in retirement.

Q

. How will they know which stocks to choose?

A

. You cannot control or time the market. Time is on your side, so setting a strategy and sticking to it typically pays the most dividends. The market fluctuates frequently, so avoid impulse buying and selling. A financial consultant can help guide you over time.

Long-term, diversified portfolios that stay invested typically win in the long run.

Q

. How can I align my investments with my Catholic values?

A

. Most 401(k)s and 403(b)s do not provide participants with the ability to invest in accordance with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops standards. Socially responsible investing is growing, but still is uncommon. If you invest in the S&P 500 index fund, you will own some companies that do not reflect Catholic values, including our value for life. There are some mutual funds that screen for Catholic values.

One example is the Ave Maria Fund family.

Nancy Mellard is executive vice president and general counsel for the Benefits & Insurance Division of CBIZ, Inc. She and her husband Ken have been chairpersons for Snowball and she is currently serving on the finance council for the archdiocese. In a later installment of Dollars & Sense, Mellard will offer some basic investing advice to older savers and those nearing retirement.

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