02 23 24 Vol. 45 No. 27

PARADE TURNS TRAGIC

Miege grad killed; St. Agnes students among the injured

By Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org

ROELAND PARK — When the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl parade and rally ended in tragedy, the students and families of St. Agnes School here were left heartbroken at the shooting that left two of their students injured with gunshot wounds.

But they were also resilient.

The morning after the Feb. 14 shooting that rocked the Kansas City community, families of St. Agnes gathered at the parish church to pray the rosary.

“They filled the church,” said principal Jane Sullivan. “We were able to pray together, and then outside, they were able to gather and hug and talk for a while.

“That was a beautiful thing.”

It was a stark contrast to the experience a number of the school’s families had endured less than 24 hours before.

‘It was just devastating’

Many Catholic Chiefs fans attended Mass the morning of Ash Wednesday to begin the Lenten season.

Some then headed to downtown Kansas City, Missouri, to celebrate the team’s second consecutive Super Bowl win.

But the celebratory rally that united fans at the city’s Union Station abruptly turned into a nightmare.

According to the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department, 22 people were wounded, around half of them children, during a shooting carried out by two juveniles.

>> See “YOU” on page 10

LET US PRAY

We expected this issue to make for some tough reading when we scheduled our center spread (see pages 7-9) in honor of Black History Month. It became heartbreakingly more so after the shooting at the Super Bowl rally. Please join with us, in this penitential season, in praying for our broken world.

OSV NEWS SCREENSHOT/FACEBOOK

Lisa Lopez-Galvan, second from right, stands with her family in a photo posted to her Facebook account Sept. 26, 2022. Lopez-Galvan, a parishioner of St. Agnes Parish in Roeland Park, was killed Feb. 14 during a mass shooting following the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory parade.

OSV NEWS PHOTO/KIRBY LEE-USA TODAY SPORTS VIA

Fans leave the area after gunshots were fired in Kansas City, Missouri, following the parade celebrating the Kansas City Chiefs winning Super Bowl LVIII. The mass shooting at the end of the parade left one dead and 22 injured, while sending terrified fans running for cover.

OMay our prayers accompany the dead, comfort the living LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS

n the first day of Lent, the minister uses ashes made from last year’s Palm Sunday branches to make a black cross on our forehead while saying: “Remember that you are dust and to dust you shall return.” This somber symbol and phrase is meant to remind us of the passing nature of the things of this world as well as our own mortality.

The Kansas City community is reeling from the senseless killing of Lisa LopezGalvan and the wounding of many others at the rally celebrating the Chiefs’ Super Bowl Championship. Lisa was a beloved wife, mother, sister, aunt, Miege alum, St. Agnes parishioner, and fellow Catholic. I encourage all of you to pray for Lisa, her family, and many friends. The death of a loved one is always difficult, but that difficulty is magnified when it happens very unexpectedly and under such tragic circumstances.

I have referred many times in this column to the murder of my father on Dec. 18, 1948. When I was a young adult, I asked my mother why she never remarried. I

ARCHBISHOP

JOSEPH F. NAUMANN

asked if she thought remarrying would be somehow disloyal to my father. She replied that my father would have wanted her to remarry, if she met the right man. I got the impression that they had a conversation about this immediately before he left to fight in the Pacific Theater of World War II.

My mother said that her life was very full with taking care of my brother and me, her vocation as a teacher and her volunteer ministry as a member of the Legion of Mary. My mother added that she feared ever again going through the pain of losing a spouse.

I have never forgotten her candid admission of the great pain she suffered because of my father’s unexpected

death. Mom was blessed to be surrounded by a community of very supportive family and friends. Her parish community was particularly helpful to her during her time of mourning and grief.

This has always made me deeply aware of the trauma experienced by the sudden death of a spouse, parent or child. It is very important that as a church, we do everything possible to surround those grieving the death of a loved one with prayer and compassionate support.

Fortunately, my mother never succumbed to the fallacy of blaming God for a tragedy that resulted from human sin. She did not allow herself to be consumed by a desire for vengeance. Despite this tragedy, Mom was keenly aware of God’s blessings. She never indulged in considering

herself a victim.

The alternative phrase that the minister of ashes can say while tracing the cross on the forehead is: “Repent and believe in the Gospel.” These are the very words on the lips of Jesus in Mark’s Gospel as Our Lord began his public ministry.

Note that his first words were not “All are welcome,” but rather, “Repent.” Jesus beckons his would-be disciples to first acknowledge their sins, their brokenness, their need for a redeemer. In case we had forgotten, the senseless shooting at the Super Bowl Rally reminded us that we live in a world that is broken because of human sin.

This brokenness began with the rebellion of our first parents, Adam and Eve, when they violated the one limitation God had placed upon them in Eden. They chose to believe the lie that the meager limit God placed upon them was not for their protection, but a cruel effort to deprive them of knowledge and power.

If you want evidence of the original sin, just read the morning newspaper or your online news feed. When we push God out of our world, it then becomes every person for themselves, grasping for material things, power, human approval and pleasure. We are seeking happiness in all the wrong places. The human heart was created to be in communion with God, not separated from him.

Gospel means “good news”! The good news is that if we repent from attempting to be the gods of our own lives, then God is eager to shower us with his merciful love. The good news is something no other world religion believes — that despite our sinfulness, God continued to pursue us — even to the point of immersing himself in our humanity by humbling himself to become an embryo in the womb of Mary.

Jesus is the Word made flesh, who dwelt among us. The Second Person of the Triune God entered into our brokenness, even to the point of enduring

Feb. 23

ARCHBISHOP NAUMANN’S CALENDAR

EOHSJ winter meeting — Omaha, Nebraska

Feb. 24

Benedictine Scholarship Ball

Feb. 25

Junior high youth rally Mass — Prairie Star Ranch, Williamsburg

Feb. 26

St. John Vianney seminarians visit — St. John Vianney Seminary, Denver

Feb. 29

CFNEK board meeting — chancery

Installation Mass of David Trotter, president of Maur Hill-Mount Academy — Mount St. Scholastica, Atchison

March 1

Archbishop’s Invitational High School Art Award reception — Savior Pastoral Center

Avila Lenten Retreat Witness filming — residence

March 2

Magnify women’s retreat — Prairie Star Ranch

the greatest injustice and suffering — death on a cross. From Calvary, Our Lord interceded for us, asking forgiveness for those responsible for his crucifixion.

The good news is that Jesus defeated sin and death with the paschal mystery — his death and resurrection. Our Lord offers to us through the waters of baptism a share in his life, eternal life.

My mother, while grieving the death of my father, clung to the truth of Our Lord’s fidelity to be with his disciples until the end of time. Jesus did not promise his followers that we would be free from suffering and difficulty. Instead, Our Lord told his disciples that they must be prepared to embrace the cross. What Jesus did promise is that we would never be alone, especially in the midst of adversity and suffering.

Moreover, there is no Easter without Calvary. The Resurrection reveals that God can bring forth good from evil, life from death.

The Christian is not immune from grief and sadness. Of course, we mourn the death of our loved ones because we experience the excruciating pain of separation from those who are dear to us.

At the same time, we are consoled with the blessed assurance that their destiny is heaven, where there will be no more tears or sadness but eternal life and the fullness of life with Jesus.

We accompany those who have died with our sincere prayers. We implore the Lord to purify and free them from any sinful attachments. We pray with confidence to a loving and merciful God that our loved ones will be admitted to the heavenly wedding banquet. We pray for those who deeply grieve their deaths, that the God of compassion will console and comfort their hearts.

Please pray for Lisa Lopez-Galvan. She followed Our Lord faithfully in this world. May Jesus now welcome her to the wedding feast of heaven. Pray the Lord of mercy will comfort and console the hearts of her husband Mike, as well as her children, Marc and Adriana, and all of her family and many friends.

Thank God for the gift of our Catholic faith and the sure and certain hope it provides us, even in the midst of mourning and grief. Believe in the good news of the Gospel of Jesus.

Two area educators recognized as Teachers of the Year

By Joe Bollig

joe.bollig@theleaven.org

ANSAS CITY, Kan. — Kindergarten teacher Liz Gonzales was so busy getting an eyelash out of a student’s eye during an all-school assembly at Resurrection School here on Jan. 29 that she nearly missed an important announcement.

“I was in the middle of helping that student and wasn’t really aware of what was going on until they announced my name,” she said. “I realized, oh my gosh, this is for me.”

The announcement was that Gonzales had been named the Archdiocesan Elementary School Teacher of the Year.

And she wasn’t the only top teacher celebrated.

During an all-school assembly on Feb. 1 at Bishop Miege High School in Roeland Park, math teacher Kayla Moylan was named Archdiocesan High School Teacher of the Year.

Both honors are awarded by the Kansas Association of Independent and Religious Schools (KAIRS) and were presented by archdiocesan superintendent Vince Cascone and assistant superintendents Allison Carney and Lorenzo Rizzi.

This is the second year that two Archdiocesan Teacher of the Year awards have been given.

Gonzales, originally from the Dallas area, is a graduate of Kansas State University in Manhattan and has been a teacher for 12 years — 11 of them at Resurrection School, literally in the shadow of the Cathedral of St. Peter.

Principal Kevin O’Brien, who nominated her, said he could not think of a better, more deserving candidate for the award than Gonzales.

“I nominated Liz Gonzales because she exemplified our five core values at Resurrection,” said O’Brien. “She does an amazing job with our kindergartners promoting individual achievement. She celebrates the diversity of her students in a way that makes every student feel welcome.

Moreover, said O’Brien, “she is a model of faith and in teaching the faith to our kindergartners.”

When the award was announced, Gonzales’ students excitedly cheered and clapped, and wanted to give her high-fives and hugs. A lot of her former students in the upper grades cheered, too.

What does it mean for her to be a Catholic educator?

“The biggest thing for me is being able to share my faith with my students, to bring Christ into every aspect of their learning — whether it’s reading, math or doing religion,” said Gonzales. “Being able to share that faith with our students is a huge part of education for me, and a Catholic education specifically.”

Although she is a relatively young teacher, Moylan is well deserving of her Archdiocesan High School Teacher of the Year award, said Maureen Engen, principal of Bishop Miege High School.

“Kayla Moylan is like no other teacher when it comes to her commitment to bringing students closer to Jesus Christ,” said Engen. “Her words and actions are 100 percent inspired by the Holy Spirit as she intentionally chooses ‘God’s will be done’ in every second of her life and in every interaction she has with students and faculty at Bishop Miege.”

Moylan, who grew up as a member of Immaculate Conception Parish in St. Marys, is a graduate of Kansas State University and has taught for seven years, three of them at Bishop Miege. She teaches geometry and algebra II. She briefly discerned a vocation with the Little Sisters of the Lamb before coming to Miege.

For Moylan, the best part of receiving

the award was the students’ reaction.

“That was the best part,” said Moylan. “Before [they announced my name], the kids did a drumroll with their feet.

“Once they said my name, the kids cheered. What was really touching is the kids stood up. I was really touched. All the kids I taught at Bishop Miege are still here. It was super-sweet, and I felt really honored. It was so superaffirming to receive their love. I love my students so much and I hope and pray they know that.”

Engen also said that Moylan’s intangible Christian qualities can’t be easily expressed through words alone, and she has an extraordinary ability to know people.

“In fact, there is not one place she goes at Miege where her impact isn’t

THE BIGGEST THING FOR ME IS BEING ABLE TO SHARE MY FAITH WITH MY STUDENTS, TO BRING CHRIST INTO EVERY ASPECT OF THEIR LEARNING — WHETHER IT’S READING, MATH OR DOING RELIGION.

LIZ GONZALES KINDERGARTEN TEACHER AT RESURRECTION SCHOOL IN KANSAS CITY, KANSAS

felt,” said Engen. “She has started a new tradition at Miege called ‘Summit,’ a monthly evening of witness and [eucharistic] adoration. She also organized a student prayer group that meets each week in the morning and then goes to Mass together.”

What does it mean to Moylan to be a Catholic educator?

“We have the freedom to share our faith with our students and to encourage them in their own faith journeys in a unique and special way, very simply, at the same time,” said Moylan. “This is how the Lord is as well. He’s simply with us. And I feel as a Catholic educator, I get to just be simply here.

“I start my class with prayer and can be with my students in an authentic way to show them my love for them and the Lord. And when kids are struggling here, as a Catholic educator, I can ask them if they would like [me to pray with them]. I love praying for my students.”

PHOTO BY FELICIA HOLCOMB

Kindergarten teacher Liz Gonzales of Resurrection School in Kansas City, Kansas, has a little fun with her students shortly after learning she had been named the Archdiocesan Elementary School Teacher of the Year.

PHOTO BY FELICIA HOLCOMB

Bishop Miege High School math teacher Kayla Moylan is all smiles as she accepts her award as Archdiocesan High School Teacher of the Year during an assembly at the school in Roeland Park.

Catholic Challenge Sports promotes community and evangelization in KC

By Meghan Ascher Special to The Leaven

KANSAS CITY, Kan. —

“Catholic Challenge Sports is a place where people that are looking for more can find it with each person they encounter,” said Liz Intfen, a young adult and Kansas City native.

It’s providing a light within Kansas City that can not only be felt by those directly involved with the organization, but those that are indirectly touched in the Kansas City area.

Catholic Challenge Sports (CCS), under the umbrella of the larger young adult group City on a Hill, is a year-round, co-ed, volunteer-led league offering team sport seasons as well as one-day tournament events.

Throughout the year, the league can host between 100 to 250 young adults per sports season, ranging from sand volleyball, softball and flag football to soccer, dodgeball and more.

The eight-week sand volleyball season in 2023 had a record high of 272 young adults participating. The athletes, who play at varying skill levels, consist mostly of young professionals in their 20s and 30s looking to get some exercise while meeting new people.

The question is: What makes this Catholic? Why does City on a Hill need a sports league? When asked this question, many young adults jumped forward to testify to the movements of Jesus Christ within the league.

“My wife and I are transplants to Kansas City coming from St. Louis,” said Andrew Holzum, who has previously volunteered to serve on the CCS executive board and has been

a league participant for the last six years.

“Not knowing many people in KC, initially I thought of CCS as just a sports league where we would meet a few people and stay in shape playing sports. After playing one of the season-long sports, it was pretty clear that CCS had way more to offer than just a weekly excuse to play sports. It was an opening to join a community of Catholic young adults who share similar values and who also are looking to be a part of a community,” Holzum said.

The league offers a communal eucharistic adoration hour, as well as a team-led service project for each season. It also plugs people into upcoming faith events within the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas and the Diocese of Kansas City–St. Joseph.

“That is one of the beautiful things about CCS; it’s an opportunity to gather people who may not have a community within KC and gives them an opportunity to plant some roots,” said Holzum.

Many young adults share Holzum’s experience. Twenty-somethings struggling to find their place within a parish setting can find that a faith-based sports league offers a low-commitment way to step into the Greater Kansas City Catholic community.

The league has proven to be a space not only for those who seek community and friendship, but is powerful for evangelization. Up to 20% of league participants are non-Catholic — many of whom find their way into the Catholic Church after discovering this community.

“Evangelization is spreading the good news. I truly believe that CCS is spreading the good news in Kansas City through the power of invitation,” said Jessica Lee, another Kansas City transplant and young

Lawrence parish to offer trauma education presentation

LAWRENCE — Trauma is both a common and highly misunderstood part of many, if not most, peoples’ lives. That’s why Corpus Christi Parish here will host an educational presentation to help people understand trauma.

The presentation will be from 6-7:30 p.m. on Feb. 27 and is sponsored by the Fully Alive! Mind, Body, Spirit ministry of the parish, located at 6001 Bob Billings Pkwy.

“Our Fully Alive team’s aim is to bring educational topics and presentations to our parishioners and the community, so we can encourage conversations about mental health topics,” said Pam Kaufman, ministry leader for Fully Alive. “That helps get the conversation started.”

The guest speakers will be Dr. Kirsten Watkins from Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center and Jen Brockman from the University of Kansas.

The topics will be: types of exposure to trauma; common reactions; possible interventions; ways to support others and engage in a trauma-informed manner; and options for support and treatment.

This free presentation is open to the public and is intended for adults. For information, contact Kaufman at (785) 218-7437, or send an email to her at: pambkaufman@gmail.com.

adult who served on the CCS executive board.

“This past summer, CCS Run Club met at Shawnee Mission Park and there was a guy that asked if we were part of a run club,” she said. “He joined our group for the run. One of the CCS Run Club members invited him to the social after and added him to the Run Club GroupMe.

“This guy that we randomly met on a Wednesday night is not Catholic, but has signed up for several of the CCS sports the past few months. He also went to his first Mass via Tuesdays at the Boulevard. This is the power of invitation and ‘being in the world,’” said Lee.

The league also offers a unique system of arranging teams. They host a “draft” with all the volunteer team captains the week before the season begins. This structure helps prevent cliques and offers a way for new people to meet more veteran participants who may already have their foot in the community. Individuals or pairs may sign up to be drafted.

“When I signed up for my first CCS sport league, I was honestly terrified and didn’t know a single person,” said Intfen. “I have personally experienced growth in my spiritual life and, to be quite honest, happiness in life, due to this community. I honestly challenge whoever is looking for that ‘more’ in life to show up. You’d be surprised how present Christ is the moment you show up and say yes.”

The upcoming season of kickball runs from March 16 to May 11 on Saturday mornings. For more information or to register for all upcoming sports seasons as well as other faith opportunities through City on a Hill, go online to: www.kansascityonahill. org/ccs.

Women’s Lenten retreat set for March 9

KANSAS CITY, Kansas — There will be a women’s Lenten retreat on March 9 at the Cathedral of St. Peter here, located at 416 N. 14th St. Mass will begin at 8 a.m. followed by the retreat from 9 a.m. to noon.

Join other women of faith as they journey together along the path of these 40 days of Lent. This retreat is open to all women of the archdiocese. Come as we seek to renew and refresh our Lenten promises.

Register online at: cathedralkck. org/2024-womens-lenten-retreat or call (913) 371-0840. For more information or questions, send an email to: dfierro@cathedralkck.org.

The $20 registration fee can be paid online or at the door.

Pope asks support for Good Friday collection

Pope Francis has asked parishes throughout the world to support the Pontifical Good Friday Collection, which helps Christians in the Holy Land where they are now less than 2% of the population.

Support is essential to help the church minister in parishes, provide Catholic schools and offer religious education. The collection also helps to preserve the sacred shrines of Christianity.

Join with Catholics around the world in solidarity with the church in the Holy Land.

For more information about Christians in the Holy Land, visit the website at: www.myfranciscan.org.

COURTESY PHOTO

Young adults at Berkeley Riverfront in Kansas City, Missouri, participate in Catholic Challenge Sports’ very popular sand volleyball season. Locations vary per season to accommodate all living across the KC metro.

‘Friends of the Cathedral’ gather for fundraising gala

By Marc and Julie Anderson mjanderson@theleaven.org

KANSAS CITY, Kan. – A beautiful evening.

That’s how Bridget Holton, a member of the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in Kansas City, Kansas, described the inaugural Cathedral Gala held Feb. 10 in the cathedral’s parish center. Holton was among 250 who attended the fundraiser, which had a goal of raising $100,000 for the cathedral and the archdiocesan shrine of St. Maria Soledad.

The formal evening began with Mass celebrated by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann and concelebrated by among others, Msgrs. Raymond Burger, Mike Mullen and Tom Tank. They were joined by Father Karl Good, CMOP, chaplain of Villa St. Francis Catholic Care Center in Olathe; Father John Cordes, senior priest in residence at the cathedral; and Father Anthony Saiki, the cathedral’s rector.

After Mass, a social hour, dinner and a keynote speech by Msgr. Tom Tank, who was assigned to the cathedral on four separate occasions, rounded out the evening. Additionally, the evening featured the comedy of Dan Carney, who served as master of ceremonies.

At age 65, Holton has been a member of the cathedral parish for her entire life. She, along with her sister Kathleen Holton, attended the gala not knowing what to expect. The two said they thoroughly enjoyed themselves, especially as they learned more about the cathedral’s construction and viewed photographs from the cathedral’s past on the screen behind the speakers.

“I just loved hearing some of the history,” Kathleen said.

Bridget agreed, saying, “[The evening] brings back a lot of memories.”

The two have deep ties to the parish. Their father was among its founding families. They celebrated all of their sacraments at the church and attended the grade school run by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth. Finally, Bridget sent all of her children to St. Peter’s. Now her 10-year-old granddaughter is at the parish’s grade school (now called Resurrection), solidifying the family’s ties to a fourth generation.

And that was exactly the gala’s purpose — ensuring that the cathedral will continue to bring together Catholics for generations. And not just members of the parish itself, but everyone throughout the archdiocese because, as

Archbishop Naumann noted, “The cathedral is really everybody’s parish.”

In opening remarks, Susan Carroll who, along with her husband Mike, served as gala chairpersons, said she was thrilled to welcome everyone.

Married for more than 60 years, the Carrolls both graduated from Bishop Ward High School and Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kansas, and were members of the parish for decades. Additionally, Susan graduated from St. Peter Grade School.

“Wow! How exciting is this, the first . . . gala celebrating the Cathedral of St. Peter, the motherhouse of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas and the recently dedicated shrine of St. Maria Soledad, the foundress of the Sisters, Servants of Mary?” she asked the crowd.

Noting at least a dozen priests in attendance, Carroll said she wished “there was time to introduce them all. They are all my friends. They are all your friends. They bring us the Eucharist. They make us Catholic.”

However, Carroll noted, there were three who needed to be recognized —

Catholic App Series

Hallow

This popular app contains Father Mike Schmitz’s “Bible in a Year” podcast, a plethora of daily prayers and several novenas.

Users can seek healing with audio prayers for various issues, including addiction, child loss, infertility, stress and anxiety.

Hallow regularly invites users to join different prayer challenges. It also offers meditations to help with sleep and Catholic music.

“I love [the] ease and variety of prayers and meditations offered,” said Deacon Dana Nearmyer, director of evangelization for the archdiocese.

“Prayer is my best bridge to heaven,” he added. “Hallow makes it easier to pray.”

— By Moira Cullings

Msgr. Tom Tank, who spent 15 years at the parish over four different time periods; and two native sons of the parish — Msgr. Mike Mullen, the archdiocese’s retired vocations director; and Father Mike Hawken, pastor at Church of the Nativity, the cathedral’s sister parish, who later offered the opening prayer.

As she concluded, Carroll welcomed everyone in attendance and called them “friends of the cathedral,” saying, “Welcome to the celebration of your cathedral and your beautiful shrine. This is the next chapter in our history. The best is yet to come.”

In his opening remarks, Msgr. Tank said, “It’s kind of strange that I’m being associated with the cathedral because I grew up in St. Agnes Parish (in Roeland Park), and there was a huge rivalry between St. Agnes and St. Peter.”

That rivalry, at times, he said, included how many registered parishioners there were, which parish won the Catholic Youth Organization football title, how much money was brought in during the year and which parish contributed the most to Catholic Charities.

“I LOVE [THE] EASE AND VARIETY OF PRAYERS AND MEDITATIONS OFFERED. PRAYER IS MY BEST BRIDGE TO HEAVEN. HALLOW MAKES IT EASIER TO PRAY.”

“I grew to love this parish community, and it is a beautiful community of faith. And it has a beautiful history behind it as well,” he said.

“It was built as a parish church,” he explained. “It wasn’t built as a cathedral, except that then-Father [John] Ward (who later became Bishop Ward), was chancellor of the diocese at the time.

“And chancellors kind of look forward to the future.”

“I think he knew he was building a cathedral,” added Msgr. Tank.

The cathedral’s style, he continued, is French Gothic, and “has those interior spaces that really lift your eyes up to heaven and invite you to consider the immensity and beauty of God within that tremendous architecture.”

One of the cathedral’s traditions, he concluded, is to pray for a different archdiocesan parish every week, a beautiful tradition that brings together the entire archdiocese’s 107 parishes.

“We have received a beautiful gift in this cathedral,” he concluded, “and it’s a gift not just for us, but it’s a gift that we pass on for future generations.”

SOLUTION

NEED HELP HEALING FROM A PAST ABORTION?

Deacon Dana Nearmyer director of evangelization for the archdiocese

LEAVEN PHOTO BY MARC ANDERSON Msgr. Tom Tank, who was assigned to the Cathedral of St. Peter in Kansas City, Kansas, on four separate occasions, delivers the keynote speech at the inaugural Cathedral Gala held Feb. 10 in the cathedral’s parish center. The fundraiser had a goal of raising $100,000 for the cathedral and the archdiocesan shrine of St. Maria Soledad.

For two or three days in January, a furry red muppet’s concern for the well-being of his followers became news, dominating Twitter, now “X,” and sparking discussions from National Public Radio to cable news.

When the commotion died down, I was left thinking about how Ash Wednesday was very near and maybe this strange little episode had something to say about Lent.

On Jan. 29, Elmo from Sesame Street posted a simple tweet: “Elmo is just checking in. How is everybody doing?”

What followed was a deluge of replies, a lot of jokes, but such a large volume of cries of despair and angst that the official Sesame Street account felt compelled to tweet out mental health resources.

A lot of people made it plain they were doing very badly.

Elmo has been a staple of Sesame Street

Elmo and the challenge of Lent

since the 1980s. My children grew up with Elmo as a backdrop to childhood. Elmo is — perpetually — threeand-a-half years old, and apparently the “and-a-half” is important because toddlers like to use that half to make them feel older, sort of the reverse of their grandparents being “sixtyish” for years.

Elmo is kind and curious, a bit naïve, and, if I had to guess, a favorite in the stuffed

toy menagerie. I mean, who wants to cuddle with Oscar the Grouch at bedtime?

It would never occur to me to follow Elmo on Twitter, but it didn’t take long for the responses to Elmo to explode in my feed. My kids sent me funny

help when we need it.”

As the uproar subsided, I continued my annual quest for what to “do” for Lent. We all know the trilogy: fasting, almsgiving, prayer. But those expressions of anguish kept calling me.

“Fasting” may mean, for some, giving up a food item. For me, I like the idea of “attachments” of which St. Ignatius of Loyola spoke. What am I attached to that prevents me from giving myself wholeheartedly to God?

Money? Security? My appearance? Selfishness with my time? Gossip? Obsessive scrolling on my phone? There are endless attachments from which we could fast during Lent.

replies, but then I started to notice the sad and troubled ones. Even the White House weighed in, with President Biden’s post reading: “We have to be there for each other, offer our help to a neighbor in need, and above all else, ask for

Almsgiving is a little more clearcut. Give more to the poor, sacrificially. If you combine this giving with fasting, all the better. Love those fancy coffee drinks? Love to buy clothes? Give them up and give every dime saved to Catholic Relief Services or Catholic Charities.

Prayer? Make it a priority, not something you do when you “find” time. Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “Be silent at the beginning of the day, because God should have the first word.”

So where does Elmo fit in? As I studied my Lenten “to-dos,” I realized that many of them were inward-looking. Maybe I should also look outward, to the way Jesus led his life amid the crowds, being aware of the needs of others, the need for healing, right up until he gave his very life for me.

Maybe it’s my turn to think of someone each day to turn to and say, “Just checking in. How are you doing?” And then, most importantly, listen to the response. People are anxious about war, climate change, ruptures within our political life and within our own families. People have lost faith and lost heart.

There’s a broken world out there this Lent. Just ask Elmo.

EFFIE CALDAROLA

Effie Caldarola is a wife, mom and grandmother who received her master’s degree in pastoral studies from Seattle University.

OSV NEWS PHOTO/BRENDAN MCDERMID, REUTERS

The Elmo muppet is seen in a file photo on the Sesame Street float during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade.

‘THEIR FAITH WAS STEEL’

The Black Catholic experience in America

By Deacon Bill Scholl Special to The Leaven

Oklahoma City, April 19, 1995. A terrorist attack with a massive homemade bomb concealed in a rented van explodes near a federal building killing a total of 168 people, including 19 children. As the nation reels from the devastation, a local reporter states that the bombing was the worst attack in Oklahoma history.

The reporter, however, is corrected by then-Oklahoma state Rep. Don Ross.

“No,” said Ross. “The worst one is just an hour-and-a-half away in Tulsa, Oklahoma.”

He later gave the reporter a copy of

“Death in

a

Promised Land,” a history of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre.

Soon after, the national news was reporting on the 75th anniversary of one of the most horrific incidents of terrorism in American history: The Tulsa Race Massacre was a two-day rampage by a mob of white residents that destroyed Tulsa’s Greenwood district, also known as “Black Wall Street.”

It killed between 100-300 Black residents and left about 10,000 Black citizens homeless and with hundreds of Black-owned businesses and homes burned to the ground.

On learning the history, most citizens were astounded. How did we not know this happened? Why wasn’t this in our textbooks? How could we let ourselves forget something so horrible?

White identity

The almost-forgotten Tulsa massacre cries out with an all-important question that still resounds today: “What else has happened and is happening today to Black men, women and children that as a country, as a state, as a Catholic Church, we have collectively overlooked, dismissed, or most tragically, been made to forget and why?”

In his essay “On Being ‘White’ . . . and Other Lies,” author and civil rights activist James Baldwin wrote the following: “Because they think they are white, however vociferous they may be and however multitudinous, they are as speechless as Lot’s wife — looking backward, changed into a pillar of salt.”

Baldwin argued that white identity hobbles history when the victims are

Black, no matter how much or many the injustice.

This is hard to hear, and yet this proposition almost becomes self-evident in my own contemplation. As a white Catholic, I want to deny it, to mitigate, to justify, to excuse.

As Catholics, we believe that racism is a grave, inherent evil. Yet, to face Black history often forces us to contend with Catholic complicity in building the structures of sin that foster a false belief in racial superiority. As Americans and as Catholics who consider ourselves “white,” we can be tempted to show a preferential option for an ignorance that confers a happy innocence on us, never noticing how it causes us to keep Blacks at a distance (emotionally and physically) lest we face the shame of

The Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma, burns during the Tulsa Race Massacre. Known as the “Black Wall Street,” Greenwood was one of the most prominent and prosperous Black communities in the United States. Virtually all of Greenwood was destroyed in the massacre.

CNS PHOTO/BRENDAN MCDERMID, REUTERS

A man at a Tops Friendly Market supermarket in Buffalo, New York, lights a candle May 16, 2022, for the victims of a May 14 mass shooting that authorities said was motivated by racism.

what the idolatry of race has wrought.

Or perhaps in a defensive desire to not be called to account for how we gained from the crimes of our forefathers, neighbors or church leaders, we embrace a “colorblind” ideology, as if racism and its legacy are now and forever gone.

There are none so blind as those who will not see, none so deaf as those who will not hear.

Racism — the conscious or unconscious belief in racial superiority — still persists. And not recognizing the past and present experience of our brothers and sisters only makes it worse.

Wrestling with racism

The U.S. bishops remind us in “Open Wide Our Hearts,” their 2018 pastoral letter against racism, that: “The evil of racism festers in part because as a nation, there has been very limited formal acknowledgment of the harm done to so many, no moment of atonement, no national process of reconciliation and, all too often, a neglect of our history” (p.10).

One remedy they prescribe is to start listening: “As Christians, we are called to listen and know the stories of our brothers and sisters. We must create opportunities to hear, with open hearts, the tragic stories that are deeply imprinted on the lives of our brothers and sisters, if we are to be moved with empathy to promote justice” (p. 7).

So, yes, to learn Black history is to wrestle with racism. But authentic Christians do not let the anxiety of maintaining a preferred (and possibly false) identity keep them from contending with the truth. We choose instead to desegregate our personal and collective moral imagination by reconciling their stories into our story and ours into theirs. The dissonant pounding which might be shame, could also be the Lord knocking at the door of our hearts. He could be inviting us to the next leg of our life’s journey to be one as he and the Father are one (Jn 17:21). At the very least, facing the history of racism in the church warns how one can cluelessly stray from the path by the conceit of lip worship without heart (Mt15:8).

When “Open Wide Our Hearts” was released, the office for social justice and the office for Black Catholics of our archdiocese organized some racial reconciliation listening sessions. We gathered a group of Black Catholics to share their stories in integrated small groups in the parish hall at St. Joseph Parish in Shawnee.

While the stories varied from hopeful to tragic, one story struck me personally. Darren Smith, aka D.J., of Our Lady & St. Rose Parish in Kansas City, Kansas, shared the following.

“Wherever I attend Mass, I always sit in the front three rows,” he said. “I sit in front because when I was a kid, the pastor made my family sit in the back because we were Black.”

I could tell this indignity still stung and I, too, was stung when I asked him to clarify if this had happened in our archdiocese. It did. It happened in our archdiocese in the not-too-distant past.

I still think of D.J., who sadly has passed since those listening sessions, and I marvel at how he stayed Catholic. I have known of Catholics to quit at the slightest hurt feeling.

Smith, in his resolve to not let the stupidity, ignorance and hate of others keep him from the Eucharist, models for me what it means to be a Catholic man. I would never have learned this lesson had I let the fear of facing racism (my own and others) stop me.

Three million strong

As American Catholics, we have way

more brothers and sisters like Smith than many of us probably realize. According to the Pew Research Center, there are currently around three million Black Catholics in the United States, making

up 6% of the total population of African Americans, who are mostly Protestant, and 4% of American Catholics.

At three million, Black Catholics make up the second largest African American

congregation in the United States, bigger than AME Methodist and second only to the National Baptist Convention.

However, when many Americans think about Black Christians, they don’t

Protesters stand with a sign reading “Racism Is Our Longest Plague” in Washington, D.C., Aug. 28, 2020, during the “Get Your Knee Off Our Necks” Commitment

CNS PHOTO/CHAZ MUTH

A statue of Baltimore Archbishop John Carroll — founder of Georgetown University — is seen on the Jesuit-run school’s Washington campus March 3, 2022. Documents show Archbishop Carroll owned at least two enslaved people.

WHAT I FOUND IN SERVING THAT COMMUNITY WAS THAT FOR BLACK CATHOLICS, THEIR FAITH WAS STEEL — BECAUSE THEY WERE A MINORITY WITHIN A MINORITY, AND THEY PERSEVERED EVEN WHEN THEIR EXPERIENCE WAS NOT LOVING BY OTHERS IN THE CHURCH COMMUNITY.

ARCHBISHOP JOSEPH F. NAUMANN

think Catholic. This perception is likely the result of the fact that the vast majority of African American Catholics, 76%, attend Northern European or multicultural parishes. While all the faithful share similar pastoral requirements, there has always been a need to attend to the gifts and challenges of Black Catholics.

Thus, a great, Catholic stride toward racial justice in the United States occurred when Black Catholic journalist and civil-rights activist Daniel Rudd founded the National Black Catholic Congress in 1889. The NBCC now convenes every five years to equip the church in American “to evangelize and enhance

the spiritual and physical well-being of African Americans as full members of the church and society.”

Last July, Our Lady & St. Rose sent a delegation to the 13th National Black Catholic Congress. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann interviewed several delegates afterwards on his radio show/podcast, “Shepherd’s Voice,” which aired that September.

“There are a lot of sad chapters to the history of Black Catholics in America,” said the archbishop. “And what I found in serving that community was that for Black Catholics, their faith was steel — because they were a minority within a minority, and they persevered even when their experience was not loving by others in the church community.”

Georgetown’s history with slavery

Certainly, some of those sad chapters were co-written by Catholic clergy and communities. American Catholics also recently recalled, like the people of Oklahoma, a racial injustice they had long forgotten — namely, the horrific story of the 1838 trafficking of 272 Black people, many of them Catholic, by the Jesuits to reestablish America’s first Catholic university, Georgetown. Priests callously split families apart, despite orders from Rome, in the sale to two plantation owners in Louisiana. This transaction earned about $115,000 in profit (about $3.78 million today) and is credited with saving the university.

Wrestling with racism, some helpful reads

A Short Must-Read

“Open Wide Our Hearts: The Enduring Call to Love - A Pastoral Letter Against Racism (U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, 2018)

Black Catholic History

• “A History of Black Catholics in the United States,” by Father Cyprian Davis, OSB (Herder & Herder, 1995)

• “Black Catholics on the Road to Sainthood,” by Michael R. Heinlein, ed. (Our Sunday Visitor, 2021)

• “The 272: The Families Who Were Enslaved to Build the American Catholic Church,” by Rachel L. Swarns (Random House, 2023)

Reflections on Racism by Black Catholic Clergy

• “Building a Civilization of Love: A Catholic Response to Racism,” by Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers (Ignatius, 2023)

• “On Earth as It Is in Heaven,” by Father Josh Johnson (Ascension Press, 2022)

Though a scandal at time, it was mostly forgotten by history. This tragic aspect of the Catholic Church’s origin story in America only resurfaced in 2015 when Georgetown renamed a building after Father Thomas Mulledy, the Jesuit who executed the sale. This aspect of Father Thomas’ tenure was mentioned in the announcement, and inadvertently caused an uproar from the students.

What followed was a series of news investigations. In 2016, The New York Times published an article which stirred Black Catholic journalist Rachel L. Swarns to research the history in great detail. Swarns chronicles the story in her 2023 book, “The 272: The Families Who Were Enslaved and Sold to Build the American Catholic Church.”

Again, one would understand if this research caused Swarns to quit her Catholicism. However, in an interview on the NPR show “Fresh Air,” which aired June 13, 2023, she was asked how her research impacted her faith. Swarns said, “As Black Catholic, I didn’t always see myself in the church. . . . It’s often portrayed as kind of a Northern church, an immigrant church.

“But now I see myself in the church and these families who were so determined to hold onto their faith and to make the church true to what it said it was — a universal church, a church that welcomed and accepted everyone. That has been really inspiring to me to see how they did that and how they worked to reshape the church.”

Black history can show and grow a faith of steel.

Biblical parallels

One of the ways Black history helps us wrestle with racism is to challenge our racial preference for the people who look like us to always be the heroes. Yes, it is revolting to think of our Catholic predecessors, especially clergy, perpetuating such cruel crimes. However, in not wishing to see the villain that looks like us, we can miss the hero God wants us to emulate.

Maybe this kind of reluctance is why so many in Jerusalem (both Jew and Gentile) missed the Messiah. Jesus, tortured and murdered (dare I say lynched?) but still loving his tormentors and all of us from the cross, is the hero of heroes. Yet Paul tells us that “Christ crucified was a

stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles” (1 Cor 1:23).

Maybe some who identified with the Pharisees, Sadducees or Romans who tortured and killed the Christ weren’t ready to see these men — and, by extension, themselves — as villains. Maybe the history of God becoming flesh only to suffer such a death for the sake of our sins made them too uncomfortable.

The crimes of racism image Christ on the cross. Like the cross, to gaze upon them is to see our horrible sin, but also our loving Redeemer. Look away! Look away! Look away from the gory, and you also miss the glory.

The story of the Catholic Church in America, like America itself, is not without its gore. As Edward Gibbon observed in “The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”: “History . . . is, indeed, little more than the register of the crimes, follies and misfortunes of mankind.”

Points of light

And in this kind of telling, one can understand the reticence of white Catholics to go in search of moral flagellation to atone for racist forebears. Black Catholic history, as dark as it gets, also has brilliant points of light, the holy men and women — both Black and white — who practiced what we as a church preach. The Irish priest and future bishop, Father Joseph Carbery, did help some of the Black residents escape the Georgetown trafficking. And had it not been for the untiring advocacy of Father Peter McGirr, formerly enslaved and now-Venerable Father Augustus Tolton, who was rejected by every American seminary because he was Black, never would have gone to Rome to study and eventually be ordained as our nation’s first publicly recognized Black priest.

Yes, the cloud of witness is multiracial, but we must avoid both the narrative of “You did this to me, now say sorry and pay up!” or, “We saved you, now say thank you and shut up!”

In the Book of Genesis, we hear an account of Jacob wrestling throughout the night with a stranger, who he later realizes is God. In the contest, the stranger dislocates Jacob’s hip, a sport’s injury he’ll feel for the rest of his life.

Though hurt, Jacob refuses to let go and the stranger finally says, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replies, “I will not let you go until you bless me.” It is then that God renames Jacob as Israel, which can be interpreted as “he who contends with God.”

To live, move and have our being in a world where evils such as racism exist, when in faith we know God is all powerfully good, often brings us into contention with God.

Some of us let go by quitting the faith. Some of us prevent the contest by avoiding eye-contact with the stranger.

But for those who do engage and refuse to let go until blessed, there is to be had: a faith of steel.

Deacon Bill Scholl has served as archdiocesan consultant for the office of social justice in the archdiocese for nearly 20 years.

He also serves as parish administrator for Our Lady & St. Rose Church in Kansas City, Kansas. This historically Black parish, which is welcoming to all, has the distinction of being a “national” parish tasked with serving the pastoral needs of the Black Catholic community for the archdiocese. Deacon Scholl can be reached by email at: socialjustice@archkck.org.

CNS PHOTO/TOM BRENNER, REUTERS Commitment March on Washington 2020 in support of racial justice.

‘You think it’s not going to happen here’

The act of violence took the life of Lisa Lopez-Galvan, a 1998 graduate of Bishop Miege High School in Roeland Park and a beloved member of the community.

Lopez-Galvan’s son Marc graduated from Miege in 2019, and her daughter Adriana graduated in 2023. Both attended St. Agnes.

Sisters Melia and Madison Reyes, third and fourth graders at St. Agnes, were also shot and injured at the rally.

As these details unfolded, the Catholic community was left reeling.

“You think it’s not going to happen here,” said Bill Creach, director of campus ministry at Miege. “You think it’s not going to happen to someone you know, or it’s not going to happen to you.

“It was just devastating.”

The aftermath

“There’s no book about how to deal with it,” said Sullivan of the recent tragedy.

But she began by simply being there for her staff and students.

“I think it’s being able to meet them where they’re at, love them where they’re at and show them that we’re OK,” she said.

Shortly after school let out the day of the parade, Sullivan and her staff were notified of the shooting and learned that two of their students were injured.

Some parents had taken their children out of school to experience the milestone Super Bowl celebration.

“One of my [school] parents was right there” where the shooting happened, said Sullivan. “We had a number of parents who were right there.”

The educators were stunned by what they were told.

“We just sat there for a long time,” said Sullivan. “We went and said a rosary together as a staff.”

Since then, the principal has been in touch with the Reyes family while the girls recover.

Sullivan described the family as “quiet, gentle, faith-filled. Oh my goodness, they’re just so sweet.”

She expressed concern for all who were harmed or witnessed the shooting, especially the children.

“I know they’re resilient,” said Sullivan. “It’s still going to change lives forever.”

St. Agnes didn’t have school the two days after the parade due to previously scheduled parent-teacher conferences.

“I think it was God’s gift to us,” said Sullivan.

Those days gave teachers the chance to meet with counselors from schools around the archdiocese.

St. Agnes planned on having counselors and therapy dogs available for students when they returned to school on Feb. 20 following Presidents Day, and for the remainder of that week.

“People are going to be grieving at such different levels,” said Sullivan. “Some children were there and witnessed [the shooting].

“Some children have no idea, and Mom and Dad probably have hardly even talked about it.”

Heavy hearts

Across the parking lot, the atmosphere at Miege was similarly somber once news of the shooting and the loss of alumna Lopez-Galvan broke.

“Our hearts are heavy to have learned of the loss of Lisa,” said principal Maureen Engen.

Engen said multiple families whose children attend Miege are related to the Galvan family.

Students and staff were encouraged to visit the chapel whenever they needed in the days following the tragedy.

“We have told our students we want our school to be a safe and comforting place for them to grieve, pray and heal,” said Engen.

Between their close proximity and the fact that many St. Agnes students go on to attend Miege, the communities are intertwined in their grief.

Community raises funds for victims

GoFundMe pages for both Lisa Lopez-Galvan’s family and the Reyes family were set up to provide financial support during this tragic time. They can be found by visiting the website at: gofundme.com and searching “Reyes Family Fund” and “Elizabeth Lopez-Galvan Memorial.”

Faith and family

“When I heard the news of Lisa’s passing, my heart dropped,” said Evelyn Lopez, a family friend and guidance office administrator at Miege.

“I’ve known Lisa and her family since our kids were younger and attending St. Agnes School,” she said.

Lopez didn’t have the words to express her sadness.

“I loved Lisa’s smile, her love for life and her presence that brought smiles to others,” she said. “Lisa kept family and faith at the forefront of her life.”

Lopez was especially saddened as she thought about her friend’s children, who are left without their mom.

“I hope our entire community realizes just how precious life is and hugs their family just a little bit tighter,” said Lopez, “since we don’t know the day, hour or minute that God will call us home.”

Contagious joy

Creach remembers Lopez-Galvan the way many do.

“She just had the biggest smile,” he said.

It was that smile, “and then that joy that was the source of that smile,” that stands out to him the most.

Creach graduated from Miege in 1983 before returning as a theology teacher in 1988 — a role he held until he became the director of campus ministry eight years ago.

He taught Lopez-Galvan during her time at the school and saw her at various events once her children were students there.

She was “just a great person — thoughtful, considerate, [and did] whatever she could do to help,” said Creach.

Many knew Lopez-Galvan as a popular DJ who played at events around the Kansas City area.

“But she would give her time and talents to the school,” said Creach. “And after our school auction would be over . . . she, the last few years or so, would have a little dance time.

Miege sent a handful of students and staff to the rosary at St. Agnes Church the day after the shooting.

And the high school is ensuring its students feel continuous support.

“Our counselors are ready and available for all students who need to process this loss,” said Engen, “especially for those who were at the parade and experienced the fear of running for their lives.

“I’m sure we will continue to unite as a community in prayer for physical and mental healing for the Galvan family and the many family and friends who have been understandably shaken by this heartbreaking event.”

“We’d move some tables and clear off the area for a little after-party for people who wanted to stick around and have some fun.

“For her to do that I think says everything about her.”

Creach emphasized how meaningful it’s been for Miege to lean on faith amid so much sorrow.

“Faith is the foundation of our community,” he said.

Four days a week, the school offers Mass before classes start, and in the days following the shooting, it was clear how comforting that was.

“We had a way bigger crowd than usual — almost at maximum capacity

COURTESY PHOTOS

Sisters Melia (top photo) and Madison Reyes, third and fourth graders at St. Agnes School in Roeland Park, received a special visit from Patrick and Brittany Mahomes at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Missouri. The two girls were shot at the Kansas City Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory rally on Feb. 14 — Ash Wednesday — and had surgery that same day. The girls still have the remains of their ashes on their foreheads.

Shellshocked: Schools help students begin to process the loss

>> Continued from page 10

in our chapel,” said Creach. “It was a great balance of students and faculty, staff and parents.

“It was sad but beautiful to see everyone come with their prayers and their love and support for Lisa, her family and also the Reyes family over at [St.] Agnes.”

In the wake of it all, Creach was reminded of a quote from a book — one he sometimes shares with students who attend the school’s Kairos retreats.

“The person who wrote the book said that you get over the grief,” he explained, “but you never get over the loss.

“And so, I know there will be a time we’ll be in a better place with our grieving . . . but we’ll never get over the loss of Lisa and what she meant to her family and to Miege.”

Close to home

It’s a sentiment many expressed in the days following the tragic event.

“When these kinds of shootings occur, they seem to take place in other cities and the victims are people we do not know,” said Father Michael Hermes.

But this time, tragedy struck at home.

“And this time, many of us happen to know, respect and love the one who died, Lisa Lopez-Galvan, and her family — the Beto Lopez family,” said Father Hermes.

The pastor of St. Paul Parish in Olathe and vicar of Hispanic ministry for the archdiocese has known Lopez-Galvan and her family for years.

Her life had a deep impact on the Hispanic community.

“Lisa Lopez-Galvan was well known to many of us as the DJ of the ‘Taste of Tejano’ show on KKFR radio,” said Father Hermes. “I listened to her radio program frequently.”

According to the Father Hermes, Lopez-Galvan’s father, Beto Lopez, has a mariachi band that has played at many birthdays, graduations, quinceañeras and weddings throughout the city.

“He has provided the music for countless Masses and celebrations in my parish over the years,” he said.

While St. Paul prayed the Stations of the Cross in Spanish the Friday after the shooting, prayers were offered for Kansas City and for an end to violence.

“We prayed for eternal rest and peace for our friend Lisa Lopez-Galvan,” said Father Hermes. “And then we prayed for consolation and hope for the Beto Lopez family — a family we all know, respect and love.”

Heavy topics

The night of the shooting, Jessica Switzer said she “went to bed feeling unsettled and defeated.”

“As I drove to work,” she continued, “the sadness and numbness was replaced with purpose.

“The purpose is to at least have a conversation, to apply concepts being analyzed in class to real life, and to attempt to find possible solutions on some level.”

The junior English teacher at Miege opened up a conversation with her students to help them process what had happened.

When she asked them about the tone they felt at school, their answers included “static” and “gloomy.”

“At first, my classes seemed shellshocked,” said Switzer, “but then opened up by just sharing the things that were disturbing or upsetting to them.

“Then, we discussed the issues that contribute to mass shootings and violence in the community.”

Switzer’s students expressed concerns about how many children were harmed at the rally, that the shooters were teenagers, the harmful effects of social media and society’s fascination with drinking, guns and violence, among other topics.

For Switzer, creating an open dialogue was an easy decision.

“One reason is that I constantly advocate for students to use their voice and for them to find possible solutions,” she said, “because that is what gives life value and makes the world better.”

As a mother, Switzer said she understands the emotional challenges that children go through outside of school.

As an educator, she knows those struggles don’t stay in the parameters of the home.

“Having safe outlets to have respectful and meaningful conversations are

essential if we are to truly have quality discourse,” she said.

“I know that if they feel that they can share their thoughts and perspectives with respect,” she continued, “and others can listen and share their thoughts and perspectives with respect, it will make the world better.”

‘Outpouring of love’

When tragedy strikes, it seems acts of kindness follow in droves.

“There’s been an outpouring of love,” said Sullivan of the community’s support.

According to Sullivan, Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann called St. Agnes pastor Father Pat Sullivan the night of the parade to check in.

He also expressed his condolences to the loved ones of Lopez-Galvan in a statement posted to his Facebook page.

“We are surrounding her family with our love and support,” said the archbishop. “She was a beloved member of our faith community.

“Our prayers and deepest sympa-

thies are with her family during this sorrowful time.”

Sullivan said Vince Cascone, superintendent of archdiocesan schools, and associate superintendent Lorenzo Rizzi were quick to reach out to St. Agnes.

The school has also received an abundance of support from fellow Catholic schools who have sent cards, she continued, as well as a public school in Kansas City, Kansas, that sent “chains of love.”

“At basketball games, there were signs saying, ‘We love St. Agnes’ when they played this weekend at the different schools,” said Sullivan.

Members of the Chiefs organization have also responded to the aftermath of the shooting in various ways.

Among donations players have offered to the families affected, Patrick and Brittany Mahomes visited the Reyes girls in the hospital.

For Sullivan, the compassion she’s witnessed and the faith of her school community are the keys to forging ahead.

“Your emotions are so all over the place,” she said. “But it brings us back to the center with our faith and God wrapping his arms around us.”

The school will continue to “stay together and deal with this as a family with love and understanding,” she added.

In a show of strength, St. Agnes held its school auction as planned on Feb. 17.

Father Sullivan was unable to be there due to illness, but the principal read a message he wrote, letting the school know of his prayers and support during this challenging time.

Sullivan said she’s grateful for how her staff has handled such a daunting situation.

“I think that this group is strong,” she said. “And they’re very faith-filled women and men. I couldn’t ask for a better staff.”

Despite all that the school has been through, it carries on.

“What an amazing community little St. Agnes is,” said Sullivan. “I truly do love all these people so much.”

LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER

St. Agnes principal Jane Sullivan leads a moment of silence for the victims of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory rally shooting, which included two St. Agnes students and a Bishop Miege grad, at the school’s annual fundraising auction on Feb. 17.

LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER

Jessica Switzer, a junior English teacher at Bishop Miege High School in Roeland Park, opened up a conversation with her students to help them process the tragedy the day after the shooting. “Having safe outlets to have respectful and meaningful conversations are essential if we are to truly have quality discourse,” she said.

EMPLOYMENT

Catholic school elementary principal - Prince of Peace School in Olathe is seeking a dynamic and visionary leader with a passion for Catholic education. The principal will continue the school’s tradition of forming disciples, pursing academic excellence and spiritual growth. The principal will lead by example and inspire a team of dedicated faculty and staff. Applicants must have or be eligible for Kansas licensure in educational leadership. Apply online at: archkckcs. org/apply. For more information, contact John Meyers at: jmeyers@popolathe.org.

Advancement officer - St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center in Lawrence is seeking to hire a full-time advancement officer to join the advancement department under the supervision of the advancement director. Responsibilities include coordinating with the board of directors and planning quarterly meetings; building relationships with current donors as well as soliciting new donations; working on capital drives; jump-starting and running KU Catholic Chapters in key geographic areas; and collaborating with staff and students. For more information, go online to: kucatholic.org/meet-the-staff and click on “Join Our Team.”

Youth minister - St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Leawood is seeking a youth minister who will lead teens closer to Christ in partnership with another youth minister. He or she must be dedicated to forming missionary disciples and creating, fostering and guiding a community to reach teens from seventh grade through high school. The successful candidate will have excellent organizational and communication skills and a desire to facilitate an encounter with Jesus Christ. This is a year-round, full-time position eligible for full benefits. Further details available at: stmichaelcp.org/employment. Send cover letter and resume to: denise.green@stmichaelcp.org.

Housekeeper - Savior Pastoral Center is currently seeking to hire a housekeeper. This position performs a variety of cleaning tasks in order to ensure a clean and hospitable retreat environment. Please visit Employment Opportunities at: archkck.org, scroll down to “People,” click on “Employment Opportunities,” then scroll down to “Current job openings and click on”Openings in our Archdiocese” for more information or to apply.

Math teacher - Nativity Parish School in Leawood is seeking a middle school math teacher for the 2023-24 school year. Applicants should apply online through the archdiocesan website at: archkckcs.org and click on “Apply” then click on “Teachers.” Also, email principal Luke Jennison at: luke.jennison@kc nativity.org.

Help needed - Parishioner of St. Michael Parish is in need of support in her home. 95-year-old female. Lives very close to St. Michael Church. Part-time weekend help. $15 hr. Mostly visiting and assisting if needing help with walker. Please call Jenny at (816) 616-7398.

Catholic school elementary principal for Resurrection School - Are you a passionate and visionary leader looking to make a difference in the lives of young learners? Do you thrive in diverse, culturally rich environments? Resurrection Catholic School in Kansas City, Kansas, is seeking a joyfully Catholic school leader with demonstrated skill in the academic and spiritual formation of students. With a board of trustees, the principal will lead a team to advance the school’s academic licensure in educational leadership. Ideal candidates will be fluent in English and Spanish, but Spanish-speaking not required. Apply online at: archkckcs.org/apply and scroll down and click on “Principals.” For more information, contact Dr. Vince Cascone, superintendent, at: vcascone@ archkckcs.org.

Maintenance technician - Curé of Ars Parish in Leawood is looking for a full-time, 40 hours per week, maintenance technician with a strong work ethic. We prefer a candidate with knowledge in landscape maintenance. This individual will also have general maintenance skills, including basic electrical and plumbing. This position also includes setting up for events. A maintenance technician is a thorough professional with attention to detail. The ideal candidate will be able to work autonomously and responsibly. The candidate needs to be able to lift 50 pounds and work off a ladder or lift. All employees are required to be Virtus-trained and background-checked. This position may include some weekend and evenings as needed. Competitive pay, including benefits, vacation/sick time and 401(k) with match. Interested candidates should send a resume to the facilities director at: matt.rocca@cureofars.com.

Liturgy coordinator - Prince of Peace Parish in Olathe is seeking to fill a part-time position of liturgy coordinator. This person will work with the pastor in the planning and implementation of all parish liturgies. Primary activities include coordinating ministry volunteers, decorating the church for Masses and administering liturgy events. Please see the website for a full job description at: www.popolathe.org/ employment-opportunities. To apply, send a resume and cover letter to John Meyers, parish manager, at: jmeyers@popolathe.org.

Director - The Ignatian Spirituality Center is currently seeking well-qualified candidates for the position of executive director. The executive director should be someone with a passion for Ignatian spirituality and the experience to lead a small team and a large group of volunteers. To apply, send resumes and cover letter to Kate Hodel at: khodel@gmail.com.

Catholic high school principal - Bishop Ward High School is seeking a school leader with a passion for Catholic education and serving students in the urban core of Kansas City, Kansas. The school serves a diverse student population. Proficiency in Spanish is preferred. Ideal candidates will have demonstrated skill in the following: academic and spiritual formation of students; recruitment and development of joyfully Catholic teachers and staff; and cultivation of relationships with current and prospective families. Applicants must have or be eligible for Kansas licensure in educational leadership. Apply online at: archkckcs.org/apply. For more information, please contact Jay Dunlap, president, at: jdunlap@wardhigh. org. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Community and family ministry leader - St. Joseph Parish in Shawnee is seeking a part-time community and family ministry (CFM) leader. This leader would be responsible for nurturing and guiding a ministry and evangelism strategy that provides vision, skills and community for single, engaged and married people. The leader will lead a ministry task force responsible for executing this initiative to invite and move church and community through outreach and ongoing engagements into Growth Journeys where relationship skills content is delivered/transformed. The leader will also serve as St. Joseph’s chief liaison with our Communio church strategist. Interested applicants should email resumes to Veronica Quinn at: vquinn@stjoeshawnee.org or call (913) 244-3909.

Chief financial officer – Catholic Care Campus Inc. dba Santa Marta is seeking a CFO. The CFO is responsible for the overall financial operations of Santa Marta in conjunction with the CEO and finance committee. Responsibilities for this position include, but are not limited, to: budget preparations; forecasting; audit functions; monitor financial performance; directs the preparation of all financial statements; and prepares financial analysis package to the finance committee and board of directors. Oversees relationship with bankers, calculates bond covenants and provides reporting to bond trustees. Ensures that effective internal controls are in place and ensures compliance with GAAP and applicable federal, state and local regulatory laws and rules for financial and tax reporting. Qualifications include 10 years of health care leadership experience, strategic planning and budgeting. Experience in RFPs and contract negotiations. Investment and bond experience. Efficient and effective organizational skills. Excellent oral and written communication skills, interpersonal professional relationships, both internally and externally. Overall soundness of decisions, effective delegation and maintenance of confidentiality for all sensitive information. CPA or MBA preferred. Interested applicants may apply at Santa Marta Retirement Jobs in Overland Park, KS | Indeed.com.

Executive director of communal life - The Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth (SCLs) are currently seeking an executive director of communal life. The executive director of communal life, in collaboration with the SCL leadership team and the executive directors of mission and resources, will support the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth community as it focuses on sustaining its mission and charism into the future. The communal life office will create inclusive and holistic systems and structures that support and facilitate ongoing formation; individual member well-being; the well-being of the community; and the engagement of Sisters in the mission. The ideal candidate will possess a bachelor’s degree or higher in social work, spirituality, theology or related field. To view the full job announcement, please 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, please email a cover letter with salary requirements and your resume to: recruiting@scls.org.

Gift planning consultant - The Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is seeking to hire a gift planning consultant. This position will build and maintain relationships with pastors, individual donors and professional advisers. Go online to: archkck.org, scroll down to the bottom under “More News,” go to “People,” then click on “Employment Opportunities” and scroll down to “Current job openings” and click on “Openings in Our Archdiocese” and then “Gift planning consultant.”

Skilled maintenance worker - St. Pius X Parish, Mission, a skilled maintenance worker to perform general upkeep and repairs; applying basic fixes to equipment and building systems and ensuring facilities are tidy and functional. Will include some spot cleaning of church, parish and rectory. We are looking for candidates with experience and solid technical knowledge; who are reliable with a keen eye for detail; a self-starter with motivation to work independently or with others to provide thorough and efficient work. Work hours can be flexible. Full-time or part-time. Interested applicants may email resumes and work history to: galba@spxmission.org.

Workforce specialist - Are you seeking an opportunity to advance your career while assisting others to advance theirs? Want to surround yourself with others with a high level of conviction and passion for serving others? Then consider your next career move with our great team as a workforce training and development specialist. For more information and to apply, go online to: catholiccharitiesks.org/careers, click on “View all opportunities,” then scroll down and click on “Workforce Specialist.”

Now hiring - Looking for part-time horse groom/ care on small family farm. Located in Paola, 20 miles south of Overland Park. Responsibilities include but not limited to cleaning, grooming, exercise for horse; barn maintenance; moving hay; cleaning barn, water troughs; mowing paddocks, etc. It is hot and dirty work in the summer, cold and dirty in the winter. Prior equine experience preferred but not required. Willingness to work hard, honesty, punctuality and reliability are requirements. Must be able to lift hay bales, bags of grain, water buckets, etc. No smoking, tobacco, electronic tobacco, drugs or alcohol allowed on premises; no exceptions. We do background checks and you must have your own transportation to and from work.

Full-time maintenance/custodian - St. Joseph Parish in Shawnee is looking for full-time maintenance/ custodial staff. Qualified applicants will primarily work in a school and early education environment. Applicants must have similar work history, references and dependable transportation. Must be Virtustrained or attend Virtus training and participate in a background check. Interested applicants should email resumes to: mthomas@stjoeshawnee.org or call (913) 631-0004.

Refugee youth mentoring program - Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas in Kansas City, Kansas, is seeking a full-time refugee youth mentoring program specialist. The specialist will orchestrate and implement a wide variety of civic, career and educationoriented events based on the interest of the youth being mentored between the ages of 15 - 24; conduct program services in a culturally sensitive manner and maintain the confidentiality of all clients; lead outreach presentations to interested individuals and groups about the program itself and the workforce and refugee departments. For more information and to apply online, go to: catholiccharitiesks.org/careers, click on “View all opportunities,” then scroll down and click on “Refugee youth mentoring program specialist.”

Director of finance - The Diocese of Wichita is seeking an exceptional individual to serve as director of finance. The director of finance is accountable for the overall financial management of the Diocese of Wichita and the stewardship of fiscal resources in support of the mission and vision of the diocese. The finance director advises the bishop in the administration and stewardship of the temporal goods of the diocese, developing and implementing policies and procedures in accord with canon law and civil law. Responsibilities include providing financial expertise and advice to the bishop, articulating the overall financial condition of the diocese at any point in time, and working closely with pastors, diocesan leadership, diocesan finance council, diocesan investment committee, clergy and other diocesan leaders on a broad range of financial and administrative matters. Qualifications for this opening include the following: must be a practicing Catholic in good standing and a steward in one’s parish with a commitment to the mission and teachings of the Catholic Church; must have the ability and willingness to promote and exemplify the curia core values of unity in mission, discipleship centered stewardship and apostolic courage; bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting or business administration. MBA and/or CPA preferred; minimum of 10 - 15 years of finance and accounting experience with at least five years of senior level management. Experience in a not-for-profit environment helpful. Experience in budgeting, auditing and oversight of investments required. Prefer experience in risk management, insurance and contract review. Forward thinker with the ability to conserve resources while recognizing strategic opportunities to utilize existing and new resources; outstanding leadership skills with the competence to manage staff; proven to be a team-oriented, proactive and collaborative business partner with strong business judgment and high level of integrity. Interested applicants may submit resumes, references and salary requirements to: hallacyt@CatholicDioceseOfWichita.org. Application deadline is noon, Feb. 29.

Director of development and stewardship - The director of development and stewardship of St. John the Evangelist in Lawrence works closely with the pastor and school principal to ensure the long-term stability of the parish — which includes the church and school — by building relationships with a variety of stakeholders, including parishioners, parents alumni, volunteers and community members. The director of development and stewardship will implement and oversee all development and stewardship activities necessary to grow and expand the base of financial support for the parish from a broad range of sources. To apply, send cover letter and resume to Father John Cousins at: frjohn@sjevangelist.com; or mail to Father John Cousins, 1229 Vermont St., Lawrence, KS 66044. To view the complete job description, visit our website at: sjevangelist.com/jobs.

Teacher - St. Joseph Early Education Center in Shawnee is seeking a full-time teacher. Interested individuals should email cover letter and resume to Kristan Mora at: KMora@stjoeshawnee.org. For more information, call (913) 631-0004.

Make a meaningful impact today - Join L’Arche Heartland as a direct support professional in our residential homes. Contribute to the empowerment and enrichment of adults with developmental disabilities as they engage in meaningful lifestyles. We have immediate full-time positions available. We offer a comprehensive benefits package that includes 100% coverage for medical, dental and vision expenses. Conveniently situated in downtown Overland Park. Training provided. Apply now by visiting our website at: www.larcheks.org/join-our-team or by emailing: james@larcheks.org.

Caregivers needed - Daughter & Company is looking for compassionate caregivers to provide assistance to seniors in their home, assisted living or in a skilled nursing facility. We provide sitter services, light housekeeping and light meal preparation, organizational assistance, care management and occasional transportation for our clients. We need caregivers with reliable transportation and a cellphone for communication. We typically employ on a part-time basis, but will strive to match up hours desired. Contact Gary or Laurie at (913) 341-2500 if you want to become part of an excellent caregiving team.

Faculty and adjunct faculty job openings - Donnelly College, Kansas City, Kansas, is a Catholic college offering higher education for those who may not otherwise be served. Faculty job openings - no current openings. Adjunct faculty job openings - Adjunct instructor for Nursing. Find job descriptions and details at: www.donnelly.edu/careers.

Now hiring - drivers and aides - Assisted Transportation is hiring safe drivers and aides to transport students in Johnson and Wyandotte Counties, in company vans. Drivers earn $14 - $16 per hour. Part-time and full-time schedules available. CDL not required. Retirees are encouraged to apply. Make a difference in your community by helping those in need! Call (913) 262-5190 or visit www.assistedtransportation. com for more information. EEO.

Early childhood educators - With multiple locations in Johnson County, Special Beginnings Early Learning Center provides high quality child-care in a safe, loving Christian environment. Our classrooms are full and we are looking to add to our amazing team. We are looking for both full-time and part-time teachers for all ages of children. If you have an excellent work ethic, a heart for children and a willingness to learn more about early childhood education, we would love to meet you. For more information or to apply, call Anne at (913) 894-0131, ext. 102.

Scientific equipment technician - Would you like to make a difference in a small growing company? Seeking individuals looking for flexible part-time work maintaining and repairing small equipment for our family company which has been in the local area for over 40 years. Service is completed at customer’s locations locally and within a four-state area. Dependable transportation is a must. Positive attitude, dependability, time management and self-motivation skills, as well as being quality- and customer-oriented are required. Mostly on-the-job training. Electrical knowledge a plus. Please send resume to: Yourcareer101@gmail.com.

Staff job openings - Donnelly College in Kansas City, Kansas, has the following staff job openings available: administrative coordinator for the nursing department, academic advisor, director of development, annual fund coordinator and admissions counselor. Find job descriptions and details at: www. donnelly.edu/careers.

SERVICES

Memory quilts - Preserve your memories in a keepsake quality quilt, pillows, etc. Custom designed from your T-shirt collection, baby clothes, sports memorabilia, neckties . . . Quilted Memories. (913) 649-2704.

Custom countertops - Laminates installed within 5 days. Cambria, granite and solid surface. Competitive prices, dependable work. Call the Top Shop, Inc., at (913) 962-5058. Members of St. Joseph, Shawnee.

MIKE HAMMER MOVING - A full-service mover. Local and long-distance moving. Packing, pianos, rental truck load/unload, storage container load/unload. In-home moving and office moves. No job too small. Serving the KC metro since 1987. St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee, parishioner. Call the office at (913) 9274347 or email: mike@mikehammermoving.com.

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

FEBRUARY 23, 2024 | THELEAVEN.ORG

HEARTACHE TO HEALING

Church of the Ascension

9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park

Feb. 23 at 6:45 p.m.

Heartache to Healing is a social support group for those widowed early in life. Join us for the Lenten Stations of the Cross. After praying, we will go to the Revel Sports Tavern at 7300 W. 119th St. in Overland Park for some socializing. Your emailed RSVP is appreciated, but not necessary, to Laura at: khaeus1@ hotmail.com or Damon at: damon452@ yahoo.com. Come meet new friends and pray and play with us. We look forward to meeting you.

DAUGHTERS OF ISABELLA

LITTLE FLOWER CIRCLE

Christ the King Parish (Yadrich Hall)

5972 S.W. 25th St., Topeka

Feb. 25 at 12:45 p.m.

There will be a rosary followed by a potluck and birthday celebration. If you know of a member or family member in need of the circle’s prayers, call Shirley Gustafson at (785) 554-3028 or chancellor Gen Orozco at (785) 213-0374.

BEEF AND NOODLE DINNER

St. Mary Parish, Hartford

240 N. Commercial St. (Neosho Rapids Elementary School cafeteria)

Feb. 25 from 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m.

There will be homemade beef and noodles, mashed potatoes, vegetable, salad, dessert and drink. The cost is $10 for adults and $5 for kids under the age of 10. Takeout meals will be available. There will also be a drawing for great prizes. Tickets for the meal and drawing will be available at the door.

DISCOVERY DAY: A TEACHER

RECRUITMENT EVENT

Savior Pastoral Center

12601 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, Kansas

March 2 from 9 - 11 a.m.

Calling all individuals interested in working in Catholic schools! Are you a high school student? College student? Retired teacher? Public school teacher?

>> Continued from page 12

HOME IMPROVEMENT

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% www.windowservicesoverlandpark.com drcconswindows@gmail.com (913) 461-4052

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) 5791835. Email: smokeycabin@hotmail.com. Member of Holy Trinity, Lenexa.

Haus to home remodeling - Let’s give that room a nice face-lift! Specializing in affordable room remodeling. From small projects to bathrooms and basements. We have lots of other services, too: tile, paint, carpentry, wood rot, decks, drywall, etc. Free estimates. For photos of our projects and to find out more about our company, visit us at: Haustohomekc. com or call Cole at (913) 544-7352.

Double A’s Lawn Service

Lawn mowing, mulching, gutters, leaf removal Brush removal & hedge trimming

Free Estimates & six years experience Alex Spoerre (913) 488-5195

Tradesman - I do bathrooms, kitchens, basements, tile and all kinds of flooring, as well as painting, staining, sheetrock, knockdown ceilings, decks, fences and wood rot. We now offer financing! My family and I always appreciate the support. Please call or email Joshua to set up a free estimate at (913) 709-7230 or josh.fser@gmail.com.

Career changer? Drop in to speak with education staff, explore curriculum, learn about job openings, start the application process and more! Online registration is not required, but encouraged, at: arch kckcs.org/register.

CALLED TO LOVE AGAIN

DIVORCE SUPPORT

Church of the Ascension

9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park

March 2 at 6 p.m.

Do you feel as if you will never heal? Wondering if you’re ready for a relationship? Join us once a month for fellowship and formation. Upcoming meeting dates include: April 27 at St. Pius X Parish in Mission and May 18 at Stone Pillar Winery in Olathe. For details, contact us online at: Katie@thecall2love.com.

LENTEN MORNING RETREAT

St. John the Baptist Parish

708 N. 4th St., Kansas City, Kansas March 7 from 8 a.m. - noon

The retreat will be given by Father Richard Gielow, C.M. The event will begin with Mass. There will be light refreshments. The cost is a freewill donation. All are welcome. RSVP to St. John the Baptist Parish at (913) 371-0627.

CITY ON A HILL: UNDIVIDED RETREAT

Prairie Star Ranch

1124 California Rd., Williamsburg March 8 - 10

This weekend retreat is focused on a more integrated life in Christ. Whether you are looking for first steps or to go deeper, God wants to speak to you through this weekend out of the city, in the quiet. There will be speakers, small group discussions and time for prayer, confession and eucharistic adoration. This event is for young adults in their 20s and 30s. For more information, visit the website at: www. kansascityonahill.org/undivided-retreat and scroll down to register.

PROJECT RACHEL RETREAT

Lenexa (address given after registration.)

March 9 from 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Local handyman - Painting, int. and ext., wood rot, mason repair, gutter cleaning (gutter covers), dryer vent cleaning, sump pump (replace, add new), windows, doors (interior and exterior), honey-so list, window cleaning and more! Member of Holy Angels Parish, Basehor. Call Billy at (913) 927-4118.

WANTED TO BUY

Cash paid - for old tools, old jewelry, old furniture, military items, fishing lures, hunting items, old crocks, arrowheads and old signs. I buy all kinds of older things — house or barn contents, an estate or just one item. Call Patricia any time at (913) 515-2950. Parishioner at Holy Trinity Parish in Lenexa.

Wanted to buy

Do you have a car or truck that you need to get rid of? If you do, CALL ME! I’m a cash buyer. We’re Holy Trinity parishioners. My name is Mark. (913) 980-4905.

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

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

Wanted to buy - I buy coin collections, military items, pocket watches, jewelry, class rings, old toys, holiday items and more. Cash in hand. Call Kirk at (913) 2139843.

CAREGIVING

Saint Rita Home Care - Compassionate care in the comfort of home. We serve people in Johnson, Douglas, Miami, Franklin and Leavenworth counties. Kansas state licensed, nonmedical home care agency. Contact us today for supportive care at: www. saintritahc.com; rmargush@saintritahc.com; or (913) 229-4267.

Lent is a perfect time to make positive changes in your life to grow closer to God. Has a past abortion made you feel alienated from God? Are you having a hard time seeking forgiveness or forgiving yourself? Project Rachel is offering a Saturday retreat to address these issues and much more. Please join our “Unfailing Mercy” retreat in a judgment-free environment. Continental breakfast, lunch and materials will be provided. To register, email: projectrachelkc@archkck.org or call/text (913) 621-2199. Deadline to register is March 4.

ROSARY RALLY

Church of the Holy Cross

8311 W. 93rd St., Overland Park March 17 from 3 - 4:15 p.m.

Please join us to honor Our Blessed Mother and Our Lady of Fatima. We will pray the joyful, sorrowful and glorious mysteries of the rosary followed by Benediction and the opportunity for attendees to enroll in the brown scapular. For driving instructions or future dates for the Kansas City monthly rosary rallies, visit the website at: www.rosaryrallieskc.org.

DINING TO DONATE CARONDELET

Jasper’s Restaurant

1201 W. 103rd St., Kansas City, Missouri March 20 from 11:30 a.m. - 9 p.m.

Jasper’s Restaurant will once again donate 20% of all lunch and dinner sales to benefit the good works of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet. Enjoy a delicious meal at Jasper’s with your friends and family, and help the Sisters at the same time. Reservations are encouraged. Contact Jasper’s at (816) 941-6600 or online at: jasperskc.com. For more details, visit the website at: www.csjsl.org.

HOLY WEEK SILENT RETREAT: ‘HAVE YOU NOT HEARD?’

Christ’s Peace House of Prayer

22131 Meagher Rd., Easton

March 22 - 24

Have we actually deeply heard the good news of Jesus’ passion, death and resurrection? Have you been transformed by God’s holy fire of selfless love? On this silent retreat over Palm Sunday weekend, we hope to enkindle within you the

Senior Care Authority - Navigating senior care options can be overwhelming. We’ll help you sort through and understand all your care and living options and point you to vetted resources. Placement assistance is FREE. We do all the research and walk with you as you make these big decisions for you or your loved one. Call (913) 359-8580.

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.

Family member with dementia or need help at home? - We specialize in helping seniors live SAFELY at home, where they want to live! We also offer free dementia training and resources for families and caregivers. Benefits of Home - Senior Care, www. Benefitsofhome.com or call (913) 422-1591.

FOR SALE

First Communion dresses - For American Girl dolls or any 18” dolls. To include dress, veil, shoes, tights and cross necklace for $35. Please call (913) 3459488 or email: wwelch4@kc.rr.com. To see the dress, it is on display at Trinity House, 6731 W. 119th St., Overland Park, in their first Communion area.

desire to accept this tremendous gift accessible to those with ears to hear. The readings from the Triduum liturgies will be the match to set us ablaze. There are conferences, spiritual direction, eucharistic adoration, Mass, confession, and time for private prayer, reflection and walking. Cabin/courtyard rooms: $170 singles/$250 couple, or single guest rooms: $100 (meals included). To attend, fill out the Individual Retreat Form online at: ChristsPeace.com or call (913) 773-8255.

ENCOUNTER SCHOOL OF HEALING

St. James Academy

24505 Prairie Star Pkwy., Lenexa

April 12 from 6:30 - 9:30 p.m.

April 13 from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Jesus never proclaimed the Gospel without demonstrating it in power and love. Jesus’ healing ministry is at the heart of his Gospel of power and he expects his disciples to minister his healing on the earth. The Encounter School of Healing will teach and equip you to partner with the power of the Holy Spirit to experience healing miracles in the world around you. Healing is Jesus’ idea and it is essential to the effective evangelization of our city and nation. Come experience the greater works Jesus has in store for you. Information and registration can be found online at: encounterschool.org/kansas-city.

CAMP TEKAKWITHA

WOMEN’S RETREAT

Prairie Star Ranch

1124 California Rd., Williamsburg

April 26 - 28

This is a weekend for you! You will find speakers that inspire you, sacraments that draw you to the heart of Christ and fellowship with other women. This retreat offers large group and breakout sessions, individual reflection, Mass, eucharistic adoration, reconciliation, free time, friendship, laughter and joy. Here you will find the space to relax, rejuvenate and reconnect. Come enjoy the beauty of God’s creation and the gift of sharing life with other women seeking the heart of Jesus. Information and registration can be found online at: archkck.org/camp-tekakwitha.

Residential lifts - New and recycled. Stair lifts, porch lifts, ceiling lifts and elevators. St. Michael’s parishioners. KC Lift & Elevator at (913) 327-5557. (Formerly Silver Cross - KC).

REAL ESTATE

We are local people who can buy your house - Big companies from all over the nation come here buying houses, but that’s not us. We are parishioners of Holy Trinity Parish and we enjoy giving you personalized service. We can offer you a fair price and are flexible to your needs. If I can help, call me, Mark Edmondson, at (913) 980-4905.

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 has never felt so good. Jon & Stacy Bichelmeyer (913) 599-5000.

PILGRIMAGE

Pilgrimage - Join us for a pilgrimage to Medjugorje March 12 - 20, 2024; May 14 - 22, 2024; and June 16 - 28, 2024 (Poland and Medjugorje). Are you being called to go? Hosted by visionary Mirjana Soldo. Call Grace Legaspi for details at (913) 449-1806.

DAILY READINGS

SECOND WEEK OF LENT

Feb. 25

SECOND SUNDAY OF LENT

Gn 22: 1-2, 9a, 10-13, 15-18

Ps 116: 10, 15-19

Rom 8: 31b-34

Mk 9: 2-10

Feb. 26

Monday Dn 9: 4b-10

Ps 79: 8-9, 11, 13

Lk 6: 36-38

Feb. 27

Gregory of Narek, abbot, doctor of the church

Is 1: 10, 16-20

Ps 50: 8-9, 16bc-17, 21, 23

Mt 23: 1-12

Feb. 28

Wednesday

Jer 18: 18-20

Ps 31: 5-6, 14-16

Mt 20: 17-28

Feb. 29

Thursday

Jer 17: 5-10

Ps 1: 1-4, 6 Lk 16: 19-31

March 1

Friday

Gn 37: 3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a

Ps 105: 16-21

Mt 21: 33-43, 45-46

March 2

Saturday

Mi 7: 14-15, 18-20

Ps 103: 1-4, 9-12

Lk 15: 1-3, 11-32

LOUISE DE MARILLAC

1590-1660

Born in Auvergne, France, Louise married an official of the royal court, Antoine Le Gras. Following his death in 1625, and despite strained finances and bouts of melancholy, she was an active supporter of St. Vincent de Paul’s charitable works and became co-founder with him of the Daughters of Charity. She drew up the first draft of their rule. By the time of her death, the order had established 40 houses in France, and Daughters of Charity were looking after the sick poor in Parisian parishes and sheltering hundreds of women.

On Feb. 29, go ahead and leap to a conclusion

Have you ever wished to have more time to get things done? Well, your wish has just been granted. This coming Thursday, Feb. 29, you get a whole day added to 2024! It’s not really magic; this happens to be a leap year.

The reason for this “leap” is explained nicely on the website livescience.com. Leap years exist “because a single year in the Gregorian calendar is slightly shorter than a solar year — the amount of time it takes for Earth to completely orbit the sun once. The calendar year is 365 days long, but a solar year is roughly 365.24 days long.”

To make up for that .24 discrepancy, we add a day about every four years to keep our calendars in sync with the seasons. If we didn’t add that “leap day,” eventually summer in the Northern Hemisphere would start in December instead of June, according to the National Air and Space

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.

Museum!

Now that we got that little science lesson out of the way, it’s time to ponder how you’ll spend this extra day. I suggest that you simply celebrate the gift of life by doing something fun. Just because we’re in the season of Lent doesn’t mean we have to be gloomy.

Here are a few things you might consider:

• Take a leap of faith. If you’ve been putting off a big decision, let-

Lting some item languish on your to-do list, or are simply wanting to try something new, why not dive into it on Feb. 29?

• Create a leap year time capsule to be opened in four years. Grab some items like photos of your family, lists of favorite things (like movies, books or games), a newspaper from the day, predictions for the next four years, a summary of prices (for grocery items, gas, stamps, milk, etc.) or a letter to your “future” self (summarize what’s happening in your personal life now, where you hope to be in four years, etc).

• Reminisce about

the last four years. Consider the challenges you’ve faced, relish your accomplishments, set goals for things you’d like to change or flip through photos to relive memorable family gatherings or vacations.

• Actually leap, as in jumping rope or playing leapfrog.

• Engage in a craft project like constructing an origami frog. (You’ll find samples online at: origami.me.)

• Take a 29-minute walk.

For a more spiritual bent on the day, how about trying out these items:

• Make a list of 29 blessings that you’ve received.

• Do a good deed. Volunteer at a nonprofit, offer to assist a neighbor in some chore, visit an elderly relative, reconnect with a friend or surprise someone with a little gift. You may want to designate the 29th of every month for something like this.

• Observe (an almost) holy half-hour.

Spend 29 minutes in quiet prayer or reading the Bible or a spiritual book.

• Declutter for 29 minutes with the intention of finding items to pass on to a local charity.

• Donate $29 to a cause (or several causes) that are important to you.

All the above are tame compared to a Leap Day custom in Ireland, known as Bachelor’s Day or Ladies’ Privilege. Legend has it that St. Brigid asked St. Patrick in the fifth century “that women be given the opportunity to propose (once every four years), since men were too slow to do so,” according to salon.com.

(And yes, there were penalties for refusing.)

I’ll end this “leap day” reflection with the following:

Did you know there’s a species of deer that can jump higher than the average house? This is due to its powerful hind legs and the fact that the average house can’t jump!

Transfiguration helps give disciples the eyes of faith

ent is a graced time for spiritual transfiguration. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church notes, “the Transfiguration ‘is the sacrament of the second regeneration’: our own Resurrection.”

The Gospel account of the Lord’s transfiguration invites reflection on this momentous event in Jesus’ earthly life and our participation in this event.

When Jesus tells his disciples he will suffer greatly, be killed and then raised on the third day, a shadow of doubt marks the disciples’ act of faith. They must learn to see with eyes of faith what

JEM SULLIVAN

Sullivan is a professor at The Catholic University of America.

their minds and hearts cannot imagine or understand. Jesus’ transfiguration becomes a mysterious glimpse, a foretaste of the Lord’s

future and glorious resurrection.

Jesus took the apostles Peter, James and John to a mountain where he was transfigured before their amazed eyes. Jesus is bathed in brilliant heavenly light, while Moses and Elijah appear on either side of his radiant form. A heavenly voice from the clouds declares Jesus as the Son of God.

Why does Jesus show himself in transfigured form? At his transfiguration, Jesus sows seeds of hope in the hearts and minds of the disciples. And Jesus is removing the horror of the crucifixion from the disciples’ hearts.

To prevent their faith from being understandably disturbed by the humiliation of his passion, Jesus offers a foretaste of his glorified body.

Jesus shone the radiant light of faith, hope and love into the hearts and minds of his disciples. God’s word invites us to the same “life transfigured by the Holy Spirit.” And the graces of the Lenten season invite a renewal in the new life in Jesus we received at baptism.

Faith in Jesus, the Son of God, opens a life of hope in God’s love and mercy. We are given a new way of seeing the world.

After the experience of Jesus’ transfiguration, the disciples gradually begin to see and to understand, with eyes of faith, the saving gift of Jesus’ suffering, death and resurrection.

And they receive the grace to see, in faith, their own participation in his paschal mystery.

Faith in Jesus transforms life. Our Lord’s transfiguration transforms the disciples’ hearts and minds. And he desires to transfigure our lives too, if we are open and humbly approach Jesus in faith as we pray, “Speak to me, Lord.”

Pope: During Lent, leave appearances aside and listen to God

ROME (CNS) — In an age when even one’s most intimate thoughts and feelings can become fodder for social media, Lent is a time to cast aside appearances and to find God at work in the depths of the heart, Pope Francis said.

Without realizing it, Christians have become immersed “in a world in which everything, including our emotions and deepest feelings, has to become ‘social,’” the pope said while celebrating

Mass at the Basilica of Santa Sabina in Rome to mark the beginning of Lent Feb. 14.

Today, “even the most tragic and painful experiences risk not having a quiet place where they can be kept,” he said. “Everything has to be exposed, shown off, fed to the gossip mill of the moment.”

Dressed in purple vestments to mark the Lenten season, Pope Francis said Lent is a chance for Christians to ensure their relationship with God “is

not reduced to mere outward show.”

Lent “immerses us in a bath of purification,” he said. “It means looking within ourselves and acknowledging our real identity, removing the masks we so often wear, slowing the frantic pace of our lives and embracing the truth of who we are.”

The Lenten practices of “almsgiving, prayer and fasting are not mere external practices; they are paths that lead to the heart, to the core of the Christian life,” he added.

The Kansas Catholic Conference (KCC) serves as the voice of the Catholic bishops of Kansas on matters of public policy.

The KCC formulates ideas, then invites elected officials to consider our perspectives. This is the basic “blocking and tackling” of legislative advocacy we undertake at the Kansas Capitol and in Washington, D.C.

As the 2024 Kansas legislative session nears its halfway point, we offer this update and analysis from the Statehouse.

The projected $3 billion-plus budget surplus for Kansas triggered conflicting election-year tax cut packages from both the governor and the Legislature. The KCC

How bout those CHIIEEFFS!!!

I hope all of you remembered to start Lent off by attending Ash Wednesday Mass before or after the parade.

Psalm 34 reminds us to bless the Lord at all times. It’s easy to give praise to God when our team is winning and when things are going well in life, but we are called to give him praise even when things aren’t going well.

One of my favorite sports movies is “Facing the Giants.” A great line from the movie is: “If we win, we praise him. If we lose, we praise him.”

After the Chiefs

CHURCH AND STATE

CHUCK WEBER

Chuck Weber is the executive director of the Kansas Catholic Conference.

is not taking a position on either option, although we support further reductions or the elimination of the state sales tax on food (included in both proposals) which will help lower-income Kansans.

Medicaid expansion (government-sponsored health care insurance) is a complex and often confusing topic. The KCC supports Medicaid expansion, while also acknowledging that the Medicaid health care delivery option is less than ideal.

A committee hearing (step one in the legislative journey) on Medicaid expansion will take place this session, but

chances for action are slim.

Kansans rejected abortion restrictions and safeguards for pregnant women and their preborn children when it voted down the “Value Them Both” amendment. The consequences of that outcome are disturbing, though sadly, not surprising.

Kansas is now the Midwest abortion destination we feared it would become. The number of abortions performed in Kansas has tripled over the past five years and continues an upward trend.

The extreme legal landscape now entrenched in Kansas law prevents meaningful abortion restrictions. Many women experiencing an unplanned pregnancy feel abortion

is their only choice. Fighting against the abortion industry and the abortion-friendly secular news media, our legislative focus is on bolstering resources for pregnancy resource centers, maternity homes and adoption options so pregnant women can have and make a real choice for life.

There is momentum in the Legislature for ensuring mental health services are available to those in need, especially children. The KCC is advocating for expansion of a pilot program where mental health services would be provided to children from both public and nonpublic schools.

Likewise, the KCC supports proposals designed to stop a minor’s

Don’t set yourself up for failure this Lent

LEARNING TO LOVE LIKE HIM

JOSHUA RUOFF

Joshua Ruoff is the lead consultant for the archdiocesan special-needs ministry. He can be reached by email at: jruoff@ archkck.org.

defeated the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship, I saw

a wonderful picture of Chiefs owner Clark Hunt and his family huddled together before the game praying together. I don’t know exactly what was said, but knowing that Hunt has made an effort to use the winning stages as a way to give glory to

God, I am sure that they were making sure as a family to give praise to God no matter the outcome of the game.

As we enter into Lent, it is important to remember that in order to get to the victory over death at Easter, the fulfillment of Jesus’ promise to us of our resurrection into eternal life, we first must enter into the desert with him, die to ourselves, pick up our cross and follow him at all times, especially when it is the most difficult.

Here are some tips to hopefully help keep our focus fixed on giving praise to Jesus through our sacrifices and

challenges of Lent and our everyday lives.

First, don’t set yourself up for failure. I think we sometimes set expectations of ourselves too high, thinking that we have the ability to become a saint overnight. Make daily resolutions for yourself every day that create small changes over time that will eventually lead into a greater transformation of your heart.

Second, have patience with yourself. It is so easy to fall short of our Lenten promises and daily resolutions and then immediately give up. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.

access to pornography and rein in the outsized influence of social media on children — some of whom are following false messengers encouraging them to commit tragic suicides.

Payday loan reform is a challenge, but one we will continue pursuing. Changes to asset forfeiture law, where law enforcement has great discretion in seizing property they believe is being used to commit a crime, even without an arrest or conviction, are among our social justice initiatives.

Join our KCC alert email list at: www. kansascatholic.org/ take-action.

Pray for our legislators. We persevere.

Forgive yourself and, most importantly, allow Jesus’ mercy to fill your heart through the sacrament of reconciliation as often as you can.

Third, don’t do it alone. We were never meant to live this life or work to get to heaven alone. Even Jesus needed help in carrying his cross to Calvary. Find accountability and support through family, friends, clergy, a spiritual mentor or even professional help.

May this Lent be the start of transforming your heart and your life to live ever more abundantly in his love every day.

New disciples for Jesus are the dividends of CEF’s investment

The CEF staff and board of directors hosted a special appreciation Mass for Catholic Education Foundation supporters who fund scholarships each year for youth in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.

The Mass was held at the Church of the Nativity on Jan. 25 and was celebrated by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann with the assistance of Father Mike Hawken. Father Hawken is a product of Catholic schools himself and a former CEF board member.

CEF wanted to find a special way to thank its

CEF CENTERED

VINCENT ANCH

Vince

donors and volunteers who help provide hundreds of scholarships to children in need.

“What better way

can we thank our supporters than by offering a Mass in their honor and praying for them?” asked board chair RJ Gildea.

The Mass included participation from CEF board members: Lisa Connor, Andy Eilert and Toby Cook as readers;

Courtney Raupp as cantor; and gift bearers Craig Gaffney and his wife Karen.

CEF students from Bishop Ward High School in Kansas City, Kansas, also helped with the gifts. A reception was held after the Mass.

I was so inspired to hear the passion in the archbishop’s homily and his support for providing scholarships for families who struggle financially. This year, CEF will provide over 1,800 scholarships totaling approximately $4.5 million. All the students receiving scholarships come from families who qualify for some

level of federal poverty assistance.

Without these scholarships, these children would not be able to attend Catholic schools. This is only made possible by the generosity of supporters of CEF in the archdiocese. Prayers were offered for all CEF supporters, including those who couldn’t attend.

We will never be able to thank our donors enough for providing the gift of Catholic education to so many of our children. Prayer is the perfect gift that CEF can offer. It is what differentiates faith-based charities from other nonprofit organizations.

In addition to this special Mass, CEF staff, board members and students also pray for CEF supporters. Teaching children about the power of prayer is what makes Catholic schools so different from public schools.

Our schools do a tremendous job in faith formation in addition to providing top-notch academics. Creating new disciples of Jesus is the best gift that our schools give to our community. This is perhaps the best return on investment that a CEF donor can get from the nonprofit world.

FORGIVENESS SUNDAY

What better way to start Lent than to forgive and be forgiven?

By Jaymie Stuart Wolfe OSV News

In Roman Catholic parishes, the rituals of Lent begin with the imposition of ashes on Ash Wednesday. But many Eastern Christians — both Catholic and Orthodox — set the tone for the penitential season of Lent by observing another tradition: Forgiveness Sunday.

The “Great Fast” is ushered in at vespers (evening prayer) on the Sunday before Lent with a rich and meaningful tradition. As the beginning of Lent is announced, light-colored vestments are exchanged for dark ones, candles are extinguished and the chants become somber. The Prayer of St. Ephrem, a penitential mainstay in the East, is then prayed for the first time. But the highlight of the service is deeply personal: The Ceremony of Mutual Forgiveness.

It begins with the priest saying, “Brothers and sisters, forgive me, a sinner, all the sins I have committed this day and all the days of my life, in word or deed or thought, with all my spiritual and bodily faculties.” The congregation responds, “May God forgive you and have mercy on you.”

The roles then reverse, with congregants asking forgiveness from the priest, and the priest responding in kind. An exchange of mutual forgiveness between individuals follows for as long as needed. People approach one another with the words, “Forgive me, a sinner.” They are answered with the response, “May God forgive you.”

I can’t think of a better way to begin our Lenten observances than by embracing the challenge and call to forgive one another. Too often, we make forgiveness a goal rather than a starting place. Perhaps it’s because we don’t have an established way to experience it in the context of community. Without that, it’s easy to lose sight of how important mutual forgiveness is.

And, too, what forgiveness is — and what it isn’t — are often misunderstood. Granting forgiveness doesn’t mean we weren’t hurt. It is necessary only because we have been hurt, perhaps even deeply. Forgiveness doesn’t erase what we’ve suffered, or even lessen it.

But when we forgive someone, we are choosing to place another human being above our hurts. That is what our merciful Father asks of us, and what Jesus shows us how to do throughout the Gospels.

But it’s important to remember that God does not ask us to forgive simply for the benefit of those who sin, but to show us a way out of the pain we continue to suffer until we do. Relationships need a way forward, especially when they are damaged or broken. Complete reconciliation may or may not be possible. But forgiveness keeps people from being stuck where they are. It empowers victims in a way revenge or retribution cannot.

We pray, “Thy kingdom come” often without thinking much about what it

means. But when we do, it doesn’t take long for us to realize that asking for God to reign over every aspect of our lives requires something of us. God is the creator and king of the universe. Nothing would exist, or continue to exist, apart from him. And because everything is from him, everything is also for him.

Our task is to give the world back to the one who loved it into being. That’s easy to embrace when we’re talking about mountains, meadows and moose. It’s more challenging to allow God to rule over human affairs. How that might grow in our communities of faith is something we ought to consider.

When the kingdom of God comes to our relationships, forgiveness flows. To live a life of faith in Jesus Christ

means learning to forgive frequently and freely, as he did. It means recognizing when a brother or sister has something against us. It requires us to set the Lenten sacrifices we want to make to God down at the altar and go instead to ask for forgiveness. And it also demands that we grant forgiveness to all who seek it from us, even when it’s difficult for us to do so.

Forgiveness Sunday may not be part of our own faith traditions, but there is nothing stopping us from setting aside a time for mutual forgiveness. Our families, schools, parishes and workplaces must create opportunities to ask for and offer the mercy we all need from one another. When we do, we will unlock the power of forgiveness in our lives to heal, restore and transform.

OSV NEWS PHOTO/CNS FILE, GREG TARCZYNSKI

An altar server prepares burning incense during a Forgiveness Vespers service at Our Lady of Fatima Byzantine Catholic Church in San Francisco.