05 01 20 Vo. 41 No. 37

THELEAVEN.ORG | VOL. 41, NO. 37 | MAY 1, 2020

LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER

Clockwise from left, Father Kenn Clem, Father Jerry Volz and Father Francis Hund “join” parishioners for dinner via Facebook Live. The trio of priests had an Italian feast followed by trivia with viewers.

Prince of Peace hosts virtual dinner and trivia night

By Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org

O

LATHE — It’s not often someone has the chance to join Father Francis Hund, Father Kenn Clem and Father Jerry Volz for dinner.

The priests from Prince of Peace Church in Olathe typically have differing schedules and getting them together at the same time to share a meal is nearly impossible.

But on the evening of April 25, more than 120 people sat down with the trio for dinner

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

at the priests’ rectory.

Well, not exactly at the rectory — but close to it.

“In this time of quarantine and everyone being so separated from the beautiful community here at church, we wanted to be with our people and have dinner together,” said Father Clem.

“Not being able to do that at a restaurant, we decided that doing it over the internet would be a fun way to get together as a community,” he added.

It turns out, the coronavirus pandemic has opened the door >> See “SURPRISE” on page 6

MARRIAGE PREP

Because of COVID-19, marriage prep has undergone some changes. Find out what you need to know. Page 3

LEAVEN PHOTO BY JAY SOLDNER

Father Jerry Volz, left, searches for the answer to a trivia question as Father Kenn Clem and Father Francis Hund look on.

While it wasn’t about winning or losing, Father Volz likes to point out that his team won.

STILL MINISTERING

College chaplains have utilized creative ways to continue to minister to students despite the pandemic. Page 4

SILENT SPRING

Spring sports athletes and coaches explain how the pandemic has changed their lives. Pages 7-9

SUMMER SCHEDULE

The Leaven will begin its biweekly schedule after the May 8 issue. The Leaven will publish on the following dates: May 22, June 5, June 19, July 3, July 17, July 31, Aug. 14, Aug. 28 and Sept. 11.

MAY 1, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG

ARCHBISHOP

2

What a blessing to be under Mary’s maternal protection!

P

ope Francis on April 25 issued a letter encouraging all Catholics “to rediscover the beauty of praying the rosary at home in the month of May.” Traditionally, May is a month of special Marian devotion. With the limitations on the availability to pray in churches because of public health concerns resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a renewed and deepened understanding of the importance of family prayer.

I urge all the parishioners of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas to embrace the Holy Father’s invitation and to make a special effort to pray the rosary daily during May. The custom of praying the rosary as a family is a beautiful tradition that can help strengthen and unite families. It can be a special time when members of the family share the true concerns of their hearts by including one another’s intentions during this time of prayer.

This invitation is also directed to individuals who live alone, as well as individuals who are the only member of their family who is willing to pray the daily rosary.

Even when we pray the rosary alone, we are never praying in isolation. We pray in communion with millions of other Catholics across the world who are embracing Our Lady’s

LIFE WILL BE VICTORIOUS ARCHBISHOP JOSEPH F. NAUMANN desire for her spiritual children to unite with her through the praying of the rosary.

The daily praying of the rosary this May joins us with the successor of St. Peter, Pope Francis, who has invited Catholics all over the world to pray this Marian prayer for the end of the pandemic and for the renewal of the family.

For those looking for tools to enhance praying the rosary as a family, there are many excellent booklets offering meditations for each of the 20 mysteries of the rosary. One of my personal favorites is Dr. Edward Sri’s “The New Rosary in Scripture” that provides a scriptural verse relating to the particular mystery for each Hail Mary of the decade.

The Holy Family School of Faith daily rosary meditations are also an excellent resource, offering fresh and thoughtful meditations for each decade

of the rosary that are available through links on their website to their YouTube channel or their podcast.

Archbishop Jose Gomez, the archbishop of Los Angeles and the president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, has also called for the re-consecration of our nation to the patronage of Mary under her title, Mother of the Church. This re-consecration was scheduled for Friday, May 1.

Archbishop Gomez said: The re-consecration “will give the church the occasion to pray for Our Lady’s continued protection of the vulnerable, healing of the unwell and wisdom for those who work to cure this terrible virus.”

The president of the U.S. bishops’ conference explained: “This year, we seek the assistance of Our Lady all the more earnestly as we face together the effects of the global pandemic.”

Bishop John Carroll, the first bishop of the United States, first consecrated our nation to Mary under the title of the Immaculate Concep-

tion in 1792.

In 1846, the bishops of the United States chose Mary, again under the title of the Immaculate Conception, to be the principal patron for our country.

The late Cardinal Patrick O’Boyle, former archbishop of Washington, again consecrated the United States in 1959 to our Blessed Mother under her title, the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

In November 2006, the bishops of the United States renewed the consecration of our nation to Mary, entrusting our country to the Blessed Mother’s immaculate and sorrowful heart.

For centuries, May has been a special month of Marian devotion. On May 13, we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Fatima, commemorating the 103rd anniversary of the first apparition of Mary at Fatima. During her appearances to the child visionaries of Portugal, Mary asked specifically for individuals and families to pray the daily rosary.

On May 31, we usually celebrate the feast of a pregnant Mary making an arduous journey to visit and assist her pregnant cousin Elizabeth.

This year the feast of the Visitation is eclipsed in the church’s liturgical calendar by the great solemnity of Pentecost, the birthday of the church.

According to the Acts of the Apostles, Mary was praying with the first disciples of Jesus in the upper room when the

Holy Spirit empowered the apostles to go out on the streets of Jerusalem to proclaim the truth of the risen Jesus to the world.

In our secular culture, Mother’s Day is always the second Sunday of May. In choosing to re-consecrate our nation to Mary under her title, Mother of the Church, Archbishop Gomez reminds us that Mary is our spiritual mother.

From the cross on Calvary, Jesus entrusted Mary to the Apostle John, as his mother. At that incredible moment, John represented the entire church and Mary became also our spiritual mother.

A couple of years ago, Pope Francis designated the Monday after Pentecost as the feast of Mary, Mother of the Church. What a blessing to be under Mary’s maternal protection, especially during these challenging times.

To consecrate something or someone is to set them apart for a sacred purpose. Consecrating ourselves to Mary is a way of entrusting ourselves to her care and allowing her to draw us closer to her son Jesus. This is always Mary’s desire — to draw us closer to her son, our brother and Lord.

It was at Mary’s request that Jesus performed his first miracle at the wedding feast of Cana. Let us go to Jesus with Mary, bringing all of the burdens and anxieties in our hearts during

ARCHBISHOP NAUMANN Daily Monday to Saturday — livestream Mass at 8:30 a.m.

Sundays Livestream Mass at 10 a.m.

May 1 Re-consecration of the United States to Mary livestream May 4 USCCB taskforce on the renewal of the understanding of the Real Presence

May 6 Meeting with FOCUS missionaries by Zoom

this moment of international crisis.

With Mary alongside us, we have nothing to fear. Through Mary’s intercession, may the Holy Spirit renew and strengthen our faith and families. May Mary draw us closer to Jesus, who desires to cast out all fear from our heart.

Mary, Mother of the Church and our mother, pray for us!

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MAY 1, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

3

Marriage prep delivered online during ‘stay at home’ order

By Marc and Julie Anderson mjanderson@theleaven.org

What to know

L

EAWOOD — This past February, Kelsie Carpenter and Kyle Zimmerman were eagerly anticipating their upcoming wedding, set for May 30 at St. Michael the Archangel Church here.

A physician’s assistant and medical supply sales representative by day, the two were kept busy in their off hours with details like guest lists, dress fittings and catering orders.

On Feb. 5, the couple began another phase of their journey to the altar — that of marriage preparation classes, as required by the archdiocese. For three weeks, the couple drove to Lawrence for weekly sessions.

Because the couple had asked Father Mitchel Zimmerman to officiate at their wedding, the couple was regularly meeting with four other couples at the St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center where Father Zimmerman serves as director and chaplain.

After three weeks of sessions, Carpenter and Zimmerman had only one session left. Then, the unthinkable happened.

The coronavirus pandemic led to the cancellation of all public Masses and all in-person activities throughout the archdiocese. Suddenly, they faced the reality not only that their class had been canceled, but that their wedding might have to be postponed as well.

That’s when Brad and Libby DuPont, consultants for the archdiocesan marriage and family life office, decided to try a new approach — Zoom videoconferencing.

The DuPonts admit they were unsure how well the platform would work for marriage preparation classes.

Still, with only one session remaining, they were willing to try it, especially if it meant the five couples could finish their classes. That way, the couples would have one less thing to worry about.

So, on Wednesday, March 18, the DuPonts launched their first online session.

At first, Brad and Libby found the approach somewhat strange. Although the content followed the exact same format as their in-person classes, it was definitely different using a computer to deliver their presentations.

“In the beginning, it was like, ‘Wow, it’s weird talking at my computer and trusting there’s someone there on the other side,’” Brad said.

The DuPonts, however, were pleasantly surprised with how well all five couples responded to that first session.

And the transition to the online platform wound up saving Carpenter and Zimmerman time.

“Every week, we were having to drive to Lawrence,” Zimmerman said.

“So, it was kind of nice moving online.

It was super convenient.”

Besides its convenience, the couple also felt the online platform allowed them to focus more fully on each other.

“We felt that, if anything, it was more intimate with one another because it

Even in this time of coronavirus, engaged couples interested in getting married in the Catholic Church need to contact their parish at least four to six months before they hope to marry in the church. The parish will then advise them as to the next steps to take in order to prepare for the sacrament of matrimony.

Interested in mentoring the engaged?

Contact Brad DuPont for more information by email at: bdupont@ archkck.org.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KELSIE CARPENTER

Kyle Zimmerman and Kelsie Carpenter had to switch to remote marriage preparation classes when the coronavirus shut down non-essential services.

“

“IN THE BEGINNING, IT WAS LIKE, ‘WOW, IT’S WEIRD TALKING AT MY COMPUTER AND TRUSTING THERE’S SOMEONE THERE ON THE OTHER SIDE.’” was just us two instead of being in the presence of a bunch of other couples.

So, it was easier to talk about things together by just muting the conversation.

We didn’t feel like we were at a disadvantage or anything like that,” Carpenter said.

Zimmerman agreed.

“Brad and Libby did an excellent job of delivering content and then giving us time to reflect on the topics they brought up,” he said.

“So, there really was no difference,” said Carpenter, “between what we experienced in person and what we experienced online in how they taught the material.”

Even though the couple’s wedding date has now been pushed back to Aug.

President Most Rev. Joseph F. Naumann

Publication No. (ISSN0194-9799)

28, they know their marriage prep will help them start their life together on a solid foundation.

“It gave us a lot of tools that we will use for the future,” Carpenter said. “We both realize that these are tools we will use in our marriage.”

The new normal, at least for a while The DuPonts launched their first all-online group on April 1 for 18 couples, most of whom are from Johnson County. It became quickly apparent that one course would not be enough.

“As we checked in with other areas, [we learned that] Topeka and Atchison had more couples, so we said, ‘Let’s get another group started,’” said Brad.

Just two weeks after launching their first course, the DuPonts launched a second course of marriage preparation with another 24 couples on April 14.

From their perspective, the DuPonts said the addition of couples to an online format doesn’t change their approach or the course’s content.

Called “Preparing to Live in Love,” the course focuses on seven topics,

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

Production Manager Todd Habiger todd.habiger@theleaven.org

Advertising Coordinator Beth Blankenship beth.blankenship@theleaven.org

Managing Editor Anita McSorley anita.mcsorley@theleaven.org

Senior Reporter Joe Bollig joe.bollig@theleaven.org

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

including how families of origin influence people’s expectations of marriage; the truth and beauty of the church’s teaching on natural family planning; and the importance of forgiveness and healing between spouses.

“The way it works, is, we send them the handouts via PDF,” said Brad. “So, we can email them the session packet they need and we can also display it on the screen.

“Libby and I do a bit of teaching, and they have time to personally write and reflect, and then they have time to talk and share together as a couple.

“In our experience so far,” he continued, “we still give them the same amount of time to kind of individually reflect as a couple. When they’re done talking, they give us a thumbs up and let us know they’re done.”

The DuPonts said they’ve been surprised by the degree of personal involvement by the couples — and overwhelmed by the number of emails they’ve received before and after the sessions.

“It’s more personal than I thought it would be,” Brad said.

To measure the course’s effectiveness, the DuPonts reach out via email to check-in and ask for feedback from the couples. In her initial email, Libby asked the couples to respond to several questions, including one for a brief introduction of themselves, how they met and how they realized they were called to the sacrament of marriage.

“Because I was trying to compensate for knowing it would be virtual and I wouldn’t get to meet them in person, I think I reached out more in the initial email,” she said, “asking them to share more about themselves and their story.

“It was so nice reading all these beautiful love stories.

“In a large group, I don’t necessarily get a chance to ask that.”

Although there is an audio-only option in Zoom, the DuPonts have encouraged the engaged couples to join by video if they can.

“You know everybody’s on lockdown,” said Libby, “so nobody looks their best right now. I’ve told them that.

It’s not a beauty contest, but we want to make it as interactive as we can. >> See “ZOOM” on page 10

Published weekly September through May, excepting the Friday the week after Thanksgiving, and the Friday after Christmas; biweekly June through August. Address communications to: The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. Phone: (913) 721-1570; fax: (913) 721-5276; or e-mail at: sub@theleaven.com. Postmaster: Send address changes to The Leaven, 12615 Parallel Pkwy., Kansas City, KS 66109. For change of address, provide old and new address and parish. Subscriptions $21/year. Periodicals postage paid at Kansas City, KS 66109.

MAY 1, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

4

Sisters, Servants of Mary offer livestream devotions KANSAS CITY, Kan. — The Sisters, Servants of Mary here will offer livestream devotions and prayer from their chapel in the convent and provincial house.

To access this livestream, go to the order’s website at: sisterservantsofmary. org. Scroll down the homepage to the picture with the monstrance.

• Monday through Friday 9 to 11 a.m.; 3 to 7 p.m.

9 a.m. — Readings of the day and reflection 10:30 a.m. – Rosary in Spanish 3 p.m. — Chaplet of Divine Mercy in Spanish 5:45 p.m. — Holy Rosary 6:15 p.m. — Meditation 6:45 p.m. — Vespers, reposition of the Blessed Sacrament • Saturday (The schedule will be posted on the website the day before.)

• Sunday 5 p.m. — Holy Rosary 5:30 p.m. — Meditation 6:30 p.m. — Vespers, reposition of the Blessed Sacrament

Support local food drives

LEAVEN PHOTO BY BOBBIE ROOKSTOOL

Father Matt Nagle of the Didde Catholic Campus Center continues to minister to the students of Emporia State University through the use of Zoom meetings. Chaplains at campus centers across the archdiocese are utilizing technology to stay in touch with students.

College chaplains reach across barriers

By Bobbi Rookstool Special to The Leaven

E

MPORIA — Colleges in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas are working hard to stay in touch with their students — and their campus ministries are doing likewise.

Ministers at Lawrence, Emporia and Topeka have all moved their outreach online as they try to live-stream Masses and make available programs they had planned for this semester.

Though Father Mitchel Zimmerman of the St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Father Matt Nagle of the Didde Catholic Campus Center in Emporia and Father Jonathan Dizon of the Washburn Catholic Campus Center in Topeka were all aware — at least a little in advance — of the likelihood that their colleges would be closing the doors, they were shocked and saddened when Masses were canceled across the archdiocese.

How were they to continue to bring Christ to their students?

Like so many others, the campus center chaplains now have jobs much different than what they were accustomed to. But they are all following the lead of their universities, as well as that of Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann, and offering the sacraments to the best of their ability.

Chaplains at St. Lawrence and Didde are still working with their students — just now remotely, and hope to end the semester as strongly as possible through social media and Zoom meetings.

Father Zimmerman and Father Nagle are also still ministering to their respective permanent communities and keeping in touch with the families who view their centers as their home church. Mass is being

“

“IT’S WHERE THE FUTURE OF THE CHURCH IS WON AND LOST. WE NEED TO HAVE A VIBRANT CATHOLIC MINISTRY TO BE OUT THERE EVANGELIZING AND PREACHING THE GOSPEL AND KEEPING OUR STUDENTS CATHOLIC AND BRINGING OTHERS INTO THE FOLD.” livestreamed for the students and the families.

The livestreams of Mass being celebrated in a familiar place seems to be of some comfort to people during this time. Father Nagle said he was surprised that families would watch him when they have the option to watch other priests with better production equipment.

Meanwhile, Patti Lyon, OFS, the director of the Washburn Center, has been working with its students to move meetings online. The centers have all kept the majority of their programming and are still offering their Bible studies — either with FOCUS missionaries or with students working to plan these meetings.

All three chaplains continue to make themselves available to their students, now keeping virtual office hours and holding group chats that allow them to stay connected.

Likewise, all three ministries are

planning how they will proceed if they have to minister virtually next semester as well. Fall retreats will go on, for example, even if there are no students in the dorms — sessions will just be held through Zoom meetings, group chats and podcasts.

Things will be different, of course.

But they don’t have to be worse.

“Looking at the silver lining, you would think that even in these ‘dark times’ we should find some light in it,” said Father Dizon.

All three priests are very passionate about their work in campus ministry and are adapting their outreach as best they can.

“It’s where the future of the church is won and lost,” said Father Nagle. “We need to have a vibrant Catholic ministry to be out there evangelizing and preaching the Gospel and keeping our students Catholic and bringing others into the fold.

“I think this very important work is just made all the more challenging [by this pandemic].”

To continue the mission work they have been doing seems to be the foremost concern at this time.

Father Zimmerman agreed.

“We get to work in a very specific moment in people’s lives,” he said, “where a parish has to cover every moment.

“Why do we? For two reasons.

One is that if they connect to their Catholic faith while they’re in college, the stories that result are absolutely incredible.”

But the opposite is also true.

“If students lose their faith in college the stories are absolutely catastrophic. It’s just a really critical moment,” said Father Zimmerman.

All three priests asked for support and prayers during this challenging time.

Local neighborhoods, parishes and communities are coming together to safely collect food for those in need during the COVID-19 crisis.

These food drives are conducted with mandatory social distancing.

The following parishes will be holding food drives: • Queen of the Holy Rosary, 7023 W. 71st St., Overland Park, May 2, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Divine Mercy Parish, 555 W. Main St., Gardner, May 2, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

• St. Pius X Parish, 5500 Woodson Rd., Mission, May 2-3, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

• St. Paul’s Parish, 21650 W. 115th Ter., Olathe, May 6, from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• St. Michael the Archangel, 14201 Nall Ave., Leawood, May 9, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

• Holy Spirit Parish, 11300 W 103rd St., Overland Park, May 12 and 13, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

For an updated list of food drives go to: https://catholiccharitiesks.org/ upcoming-community-food-drives.

Sister celebrates 75 years Maple Mount, Ky. — Sister Marcella Schrant, a native of Walker, is celebrating 75 years as an Ursuline Sister this year.

All of her ministry was in Kansas until retiring to Maple Mount, Kentucky, in 2014. She was a teacher for 43 years at Holy Name, Kansas City, Kansas (1947-54, 1961-69); St. Agnes, Roeland Park (1954-57, 1969-90); and St. Patrick/Holy Trinity, Paola (1957-61).

She was elected superior of her community (1990-94). She was a receptionist at the St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center (19942004) and office assistant at St. John the Evangelist Parish (2007-14), both in Lawrence, and pastoral associate at Holy Family Parish, Eudora (2004-07).

Correction On page 7 of the April 24 issue of The Leaven, in the article entitled “Grieving from afar,” it was mistakenly reported that two Sisters of the Mount St. Scholastica community of Benedictine Sisters had died of coronavirus. In actuality, two Sisters have died since the pandemic started, but both died of natural causes. The Leaven regrets the error.

MAY 1, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

5

Remote teaching brings predictable trials, unexpected treasures

By Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org

K

ANSAS CITY, Kan. — When schools closed for the remainder of the academic year this past March, teachers and principals scrambled to put together plans for virtual education.

Many of them only had one week to do so before they would begin teaching online.

The implications of this have brought many challenges — but also some unexpected blessings — to school staff members across the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.

Read what teachers from the entire educational spectrum are doing to reach out to their students — and the surprising benefits they have experienced as a result.

Grade school “Going completely digital was a shock to everybody,” said Julie Leone, third-grade teacher at St. Patrick School in Kansas City, Kansas.

But the transition to online learning went smoothly for Leone and her students because the third- and fourthgrade classes had already begun using Google Chromebooks last year.

“The kids were familiar with technology and Google Classroom,” she said.

When schools closed, St. Patrick rented out Chromebooks for students in second- through eighth-grade. Leone now instructs her students Monday through Thursday via Zoom. The students also participate in specials classes each of those days.

“I’ve been very impressed at how my students have done,” said Leone.

“The kids have really responded well, and the parents have done an outstanding job helping their kids and making sure they’re where they’re supposed to be and they’re doing their work,” she said.

Because they are so young, Leone uses a few methods to keep her students actively involved and paying attention, like asking them to put their thumbs up or down, and to stand up or sit down, depending on whether or not they agree with a statement.

When running into any challenges, Leone and her fellow staff members rely on one another for support. Their focus throughout this process has been to pray, learn and stay healthy.

“We wanted to maintain the really positive relationship with [the students] that we had started at the beginning of the year,” said Leone.

“I’m very proud of our school community coming together to work together and maintain relationships,” she said.

Middle school Kathy Morton, who teaches seventh- and eighth-grade religion at Holy Trinity School in Lenexa, has witnessed many good things come out of the hardship of being away from the physical school community.

“It was surreal and unbelievable to imagine that this is how we would be celebrating the end of Lent and Holy Week and Easter,” said Morton.

“But I do feel with my middle school students it was a great opportunity,” she continued, “because they were so

Julie Leone, a third-grade teacher at St. Patrick School in Kansas City, Kansas, now instructs her students via Zoom.

“

“IN SOME RESPECTS, THE ASSESSMENTS HAVE BECOME MORE THOUGHT-PROVOKING RATHER THAN JUST SIMPLY ASKING THEM TO RECALL FACTS OR PROCESSES. I BELIEVE IT HAS MADE THE STUDENTS BECOME MORE SELF-DIRECTED AND RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR LEARNING.” much less distracted or involved in so many other things, like sports and springtime coming.”

Morton is using Screencastify to connect with her students and has enjoyed helping them learn, even from a virtual standpoint.

The most difficult part has been her eighth-graders missing out on many graduation traditions and milestones, including receiving the sacrament of confirmation, which they were scheduled to do on April 2.

“To have that date come and go was really hard for all of us,” said Morton.

But the students had done extensive research on the patron saints they chose, she added, which has come in handy during this difficult time.

“They have a lot of identification with those saints, and they’re seeing how real [the saints’ virtues] are working in their own lives right now as they try to have courage or persevere through difficulties and cling to their faith in these hard times,” said Morton.

The students are also coping with missing a typical graduation ceremony.

“With eighth-graders in a Catholic school,” said Morton, “there’s so much emotional attachment and joy and cel-

Alli Jordan, who teaches English at St. James Academy in Lenexa, integrates engaging and sometimes physical activities into her assignments.

ebration for a graduation.

“Many of them have gone to school since they were in preschool together.”

Morton looks forward to a day her classes can come together again.

“I know a lot of them are fearful and confused,” she said. “And yet, I hear in them the sense of them choosing to say, ‘I trust in you, Jesus. I don’t get it, but I’m really trying to trust.’”

High school Moving to an online learning atmosphere has made Alli Jordan, a freshman and junior English teacher at St. James Academy in Lenexa, appreciate the small things in the classroom that she once took for granted.

“There’s always the student who’s late, but when they come into the classroom, they make a funny joke,” she said. “Little things like that are endearing.

“Now, I really try to bring the human element to my classroom virtually.”

Jordan teaches each morning via Zoom and takes advantage of websites like activelylearn.com, padlet.com and vocabulary.com to keep her classes engaged.

Her students have taken a virtual tour of Auschwitz and watched interviews with Holocaust survivors.

They’ve also taken a poetry nature hunt, where they took pictures of different aspects of nature and wrote a sentence about it using a poetic device.

“The students are sitting on their computers all day,” said Jordan, “and they’re not getting that movement in.

“This assignment I did was really successful because they left their house and went on a walk and relished . . . the beauty of nature for a little bit.”

The assignment also prompted a student to tell Jordan something she had never heard before: “Thank you for assigning this. I really needed this assignment.”

Jordan tries to devise assignments that are practical but also enjoyable for her students. She’s even hosting a cutest pet contest, where students can bring their pets to class and vote on which one is the cutest.

“There’s been these cool assignments that I’ve come up with that I wouldn’t have normally done,” she said.

College This is Rick Silvey’s 20th year teaching mathematics at the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, but his first time lecturing exclusively online.

Silvey offers one synchronous lecture each week using Zoom and records the rest of his lectures using Camtasia. He is also utilizing programs like Liveboard and Kahoot to “spice up” his presentations.

“I am fairly tech-savvy,” said Silvey, “but there’s still a lot to learn to integrate those technologies into the virtual environment.

“We really just had one week to transition from the traditional classroom to the virtual environment.”

Silvey has unexpectedly been inspired to continue using more technology even after students return to the regular classroom.

“The change in delivery has really made me cognizant of ways that I can help the students achieve course outcomes [by] utilizing tools and procedures that I may not have thought about before,” he said.

For Silvey, these modern methodologies he has had to rely on have actually come with surprising benefits.

“In some respects, the assessments have become more thought-provoking rather than just simply asking them to recall facts or processes,” he said.

“I believe it has made the students become more self-directed and responsible for their learning,” he added, “and hopefully [they] have developed a deeper appreciation for the learning process.”

The experience has made Silvey and his fellow professors “more patient and caring,” he said.

“None of us really chose this environment,” he added. “But we realize that everyone is making the best of the situation.”

MAY 1, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG

LOCAL NEWS

6

Be part of the solution: Volunteer to be a Virtus facilitator

By Moira Cullings moira.cullings@theleaven.org

K

ANSAS CITY, Kan. — The coronavirus pandemic has transformed what parish, school and everyday life looks like throughout the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.

But keeping kids safe is still a priority.

And that couldn’t be done without “Protecting God’s Children — Virtus.”

All archdiocesan employees and volunteers who will have contact with children are required to attend Virtus, a child safety awareness program led by volunteer facilitators.

“Our Virtus facilitators play a major role in our efforts, having educated more than 40,000 people about the warning signs of abuse and steps to be taken when someone poses as a threat to our children and youth,” said Jenifer Valenti, director of the office of child and youth protection.

“Facilitators are invested in the future of our children,” she added.

The archdiocesan office of child and youth protection is seeking applicants for the Virtus facilitator program, and its deadline is May 15.

“The goal is to have Virtus facilitator ambassadors at each parish and school to directly serve the needs of their communities,” said Valenti.

Facilitators are especially needed in the archdiocese’s rural and Spanishspeaking parishes.

“Anyone with a commitment to our children’s safety and to effecting a societal change is encouraged to apply,” said Valenti.

After all applications are received, the office will host a two-day training session for applicants who are accepted.

This will tentatively take place in late June or early July, depending on the restrictions due to coronavirus.

Educators make ideal facilitators, said Valenti, and Monica Lane, a parishioner at St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Leawood, is no exception.

Keeping kids safe is a priority. And that couldn’t be done without “Protecting God’s Children — Virtus.” All archdiocesan employees and volunteers who will have contact with children are required to attend Virtus, a child safety awareness program led by volunteer facilitators.

Before Lane became a Virtus volunteer facilitator, she was a school counselor at Queen of the Holy Rosary in Wea. “The most powerful thing about the ‘Protecting God’s Children’ program is that it’s very concrete,” said Lane. “Everybody can do it.

“It really is a way for all of us to be a part of a solution.”

Lane leads around seven to 10 sessions a year at different parishes in the archdiocese, and she refreshes her memory on the content before each one.

“The session really is about leading the discussion,” said Lane, “and the participants are supposed to bring forward what their thoughts are and what they

want to talk about.

“It’s about listening to the participants and helping them understand the problem and what we can do to make our environment safer.”

From Lane’s experience, listening skills and empathy are helpful qualities in a facilitator, and a passion for working with kids is key.

“There’s not anything about being a facilitator that requires special knowledge about child development or education or counseling or anything like that,” said Lane.

“It really just means that you care about kids and about being part of a solution to a very serious problem,” she said.

Valenti is hopeful a new round of

volunteer facilitators will make Virtus sessions more accessible for archdiocesan employees and volunteers.

“Facilitators are a blessing to the people of the community,” she said. “[They’re] doing their part to positively impact the world we live in.

“We hope you consider becoming an ambassador of prevention for your community.”

To apply to be a volunteer facilitator, go online to: archkck.org, then scroll down until you find the “Virtus” bubble.

Click “Learn More,” then scroll down and click “Virtus Protecting God’s Children Facilitator Application.”

Submit your completed application by email to: jvalenti@archkck.org.

Surprise guests, tough competition keep priests on their toes >> Continued from page 1 for opportunities many never thought possible.

The priests, with help from parish staff members Jean Killeen and Larissa Smith, hosted a virtual dinner and trivia night on Facebook Live.

The priests welcomed viewers into their rectory and showed them their dining table, which was adorned with appetizers, candles and wine.

“This is a normal dinner at the rectory at Prince of Peace,” joked Father Volz.

Father Clem prepared the appetizers: bruschetta and caprese. And the priests also enjoyed pasta and tiramisu — an Italian feast to celebrate the feast of St. Mark.

As they ate, they joked with each other and answered questions and comments they received from Facebook viewers, who watched from the head of the table.

“I didn’t know what to expect and how things would go,” said Father Volz.

“It was really nice to hear all the comments because there were a lot of them during the dinner.”

Father Clem agreed.

“It was joyful knowing as we’re

“

“IT WAS JOYFUL KNOWING AS WE’RE EATING DINNER AND TALKING TOGETHER, HUNDREDS OF OUR PARISHIONERS ARE THERE WITH US. IT WAS A FEELING OF HAVING DINNER WITH FRIENDS.” eating dinner and talking together, hundreds of our parishioners are there with us,” he said. “It was a feeling of having dinner with friends.”

For Father Hund, the evening was a way to “celebrate the gift of community” and to reach parishioners in a hopefilled way.

“Even in these days of pandemic, we are Easter season witnesses that Christ is the vine and we are the branches,” he said. “Together, we are the living body of Christ.”

That message often comes across these days through livestream Masses and prayer services, but the dinner and trivia livestream was a chance for the priests to connect with parishioners in a lighthearted way.

By all accounts it was a success. It has received more than 2,400 views, and more than 400 comments have been posted since its conclusion.

The priests were surprised by some of the viewers that tuned in, including Father Volz’s sister from Texas and Father Clem’s parents and grandmother.

But being with their parish community was particularly special.

“It did my heart good to be in contact with the people at the parish again,” said Father Volz. “I think everybody else appreciated it, too.”

Beyond offering greetings, viewers shared favorite memories with the priests and words of gratitude for the evening of virtual fellowship.

One viewer even commented that the event was “the most entertaining hour of the whole pandemic!”

A highlight of the evening was surely the game of trivia, in which the priests took on their parishioners/viewers on the game-based platform Kahoot following dinner.

Trivia topics ranged from the Catholic Church to pop culture.

“I kept saying it wasn’t about winning or losing,” said Father Volz. “But I kept reminding people that we were still ahead the whole time.”

The trio ultimately won the game but, to be fair, many participants ran into technical difficulties that hindered their performance.

Father Clem, who was ordained just last year, never expected to adapt to these new ways of ministering to parishioners in such a short period of time.

“My Easter homily was my first as a priest,” he said. “I never imagined it would be in an empty church.”

Coming up with virtual solutions to social distancing has been helpful for the young priest.

“We need this interaction together for our own psychological, mental and emotional well-being,” he said.

A sense of community is key not only to provide much-needed human interaction, but also for the growth of the Catholic Church, said Father Volz.

“Jesus was very much with the people in their day-to-day living,” he said. “We as a church need to do that, too.”

SILENT SPRING

ZACHBROWN

LEAVEN PHOTO BY LORI WOOD HABIGER

BASEBALL PLAYER | BISHOP WARD

Standing on the field at T-Bones Stadium in Kansas City, Kansas, where he works as a groundskeeper, Zach Brown ponders what might have been had COVID-19 not taken his senior season of baseball.

COVID-19 claims spring sports, leaving many to ponder ‘What if?’

L

BY TODD HABIGER

ush, freshly cut grass adorns sports fields across Kansas — fields that now lie quietly empty, devoid of the athletes that usually come to test their skills on them. An eerie silence surrounds these places that are usually filled with cheers and laughter

and moans and groans this time of year.

COVID-19 has claimed many victims as it has torn

through the United States, including the spring sports season for Kansas high schools. Athletes and coaches alike have lost something precious to them — time that they can never get back.

The Leaven talked to five spring sports athletes and one coach to see how this spring COVID-19 has robbed them of the sport they love.

Comeback season never gets off the ground because of pandemic

Z

ach Brown was back.

After missing the 2019 season of baseball at Bishop Ward High School in Kansas City, Kansas, with an injury, Brown — now a senior — was ready to make his triumphant return to the field as a pitcher and center fielder.

Then COVID-19 happened.

“I was really heartbroken. I was looking forward to my senior year and having fun with the underclassmen and showing them what Ward baseball is all about,” Brown said.

Five days before the first game of his junior season, he was diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, which caused a blood clot dangerously close to his heart.

“It was tough and scary and really sad that I wasn’t able to play last year with that senior class, who I had a lot of fun with and went to state with my sophomore year,” he said.

His comeback was grueling. He had surgery in June 2019 that involved removing four muscles, two ligaments and a rib bone.

He lost 20 pounds. He couldn’t start physical therapy until August. It wasn’t until January that he could even throw a baseball.

But by the time March came around, Brown felt he was ready to play and was

hoping to duplicate Ward’s strong run in the 2018 state baseball tournament that saw the team finish as the state runner-up.

“I was going to try to take this team to state to show them how much fun it is,” he said.

His injury and now COVID-19 took away two years of baseball and have left Brown with a sense of emptiness.

“Baseball has a big part of my heart,” he said. “It’s one of the things I love most besides my family. This happens and I wonder, ‘Why can’t I just do what I love the most?’”

Still, Brown knows he can’t dwell too much on the past while so much of the future still remains.

His love of baseball has led him to a job with the Kansas City T-Bones as part of the team’s grounds crew.

And he may not be done playing baseball. He has an offer to play for Avila College in Kansas City, Missouri, which he is strongly considering.

Brown knows he’s been dealt a tough hand, but he also knows there’s no going back.

“Life isn’t easy,” he said. “I’ve grown up knowing you’ve got to work for what you get. Who knows what can happen? You have to enjoy life while you can.”

Legendary girls soccer coach ends career off the field

T

his was supposed to be Craig Ewing’s swan song. After 32 years as the only head coach in St. Thomas Aquinas girls soccer history, Ewing announced that 2020 would be his last season as a teacher and girls soccer coach.

Ewing had built a dynasty at the Overland Park school, winning 16 state championships and finishing as the runner-up four times. He had reason to think he could go out on top one last time. After finishing as the state runner-up last year, his team was ranked No. 3 in preseason and returned three seniors, who Ewing expected to be key starters for his squad.

Ewing coached the girls on March 11 for the team’s annual Blue and Gold inter-squad scrimmage and liked what he saw.

“The girls were so enthusiastic,” he said. “They were so excited about getting ready to play.

“I was excited.”

It was the last time he got to coach the girls.

“There was some uneasiness at that time about the whole situation with the virus,” Ewing said. “A few coaches had talked about perhaps losing some of the season. I didn’t even consider that it would wipe out the whole season. I didn’t give that a thought.”

When the season was canceled, Ewing’s first thought was for his three seniors — Kate Muckerman, Maggie Ryan and Emily Nielsen.

“Those three are just great kids,” he said. “They’ve been really great for the program and they’re all good soccer players.”

CRAIGEWING

PHOTO COURTESY OF CRAIG EWING

GIRLS SOCCER COACH | ST. THOMAS AQUINAS

As the St. Thomas Aquinas girls battle in the team’s annual Blue and Gold inter-squad game, head coach Craig Ewing looks on. The match would be the last of his 32-year girls soccer coaching career, as COVID-19 ended his farewell season before it even got started.

Now, like everyone else, Ewing is sheltering at home. And for the first time in more than 30 years, he isn’t spending every spare moment designing game plans and preparing his girls for competition.

“That feels weird to me, but I’m going to have to get used to that anyway,” he said.

Ewing is spending his final days at Aquinas teaching remotely —

something that works, but really isn’t a substitute for being there in person.

“It’s weird not finishing the school year in the classroom,” he said. “We are doing Zoom meetings Monday, Wednesday and Friday for class. It’s gone fine, but it’s not the same as seeing the kids in class.”

As he reflects on his coaching career and its abrupt end, Ewing

isn’t sitting around feeling sorry for himself. But for his players?

That’s a different story.

“I’ve coached girls for 32 years.

I’d rather not have it end like this, but I feel worse for the athletes — especially the seniors,” he said. “I got to do this for a long time. I had a lot of fun. I had a lot of success.”

But the seniors?

“This was their last time. They don’t get to do it again.”

Coronavirus offers up a strange new world for St. James track star

S

trange. There’s just no other word for it for St. James, Lenexa, senior track star Katie Moore when describing life in a coronavirus world.

“Our whole life has shifted because of this,” Moore said. “My whole week would look different [were it not for the virus]. Friday nights I would be at a track meet and getting ready to race. It’s kind of an adjustment.”

As a track recruit committed to the University of Iowa, Moore does her best to stay in shape. But as someone whose best races are the 400 and 800 meters, Moore needs time on the track.

“There’s been a lot of track closings, so it’s difficult getting on a track,” she said. “But I’ve been running around my neighborhood and on the street to keep me going and in shape.”

Moore started running competitively in the fifth grade with her mother as her coach.

“It was very lighthearted and fun back then,” she said.

But soon her competitive nature bubbled to the surface and there was no turning back.

“I really got into it and enjoyed competing,” Moore said. “I still had fun practicing with my friends and teammates but, as I

got older, I really started to enjoy the competitiveness of the sport.

And it’s just gotten stronger.”

She has excelled at it. Moore holds the school record for the 800-meter, as well as the 4x400 and 4x800 meter relays. In 2018, at the Kansas state track championships in Wichita, Moore and her teammates set a state record in the 4x800 meter relay in which she ran the anchor.

“When I got the baton at state, I knew everyone had done great and done their part and I just had to finish up and cross the line,” she said. “It was so cool. Everyone was hugging at the finish line. It was really special.”

In Moore’s three years on St. James’ track team, the girls finished as the state runner-up in 2017 and 2018 and state champions in 2019.

Moore isn’t dwelling on losing her senior season, but rather thinking of the good times that led her to this point.

“Track has meant so much to me beyond just competing and my love for the sport,” she said. “I’ve met so many amazing friends.

Your competitors become your best friends. It’s kind of crazy because you’re trying to beat them, but you’re all united for the love of the sport.”

SYDNEYHILLMER

SOFTBALL PLAYER | HAYDEN HI

Softball has been a part of Sydney Hillmer’s Wildcat softball had the right stuff.

Hayden senio

W

hen she heard the spring sports season was being canceled, Hayden, Topeka, senior softball player Sydney Hillmer burst into tears.

“I remember sitting on the couch with my parents and I started crying,” she said. “I hate to admit it, but I wasn’t expecting it at all. I was really, really looking forward to this season and having a senior night and hopefully finishing with a state title.”

For Hillmer, it’s a bitter ending to something that has been a huge part of her life since she was 5 years old. She grew up playing softball with her dad as her coach.

A KATIEMOORE

TRACK | ST. JAMES ACADEMY

LEAVEN PHOTO BY LORI WOOD HABIGER

Katie Moore will run again, just not as a member of the St. James track team. The senior record holder in the school’s 800-meter run will continue her career at the University of Iowa.

be Siebenmorgen likes to keep busy. As a threesport athlete at Maur Hill-Mount Academy in Atchison, Siebenmorgen is used to having his days and nights filled. Why should things be any different because of COVID-19?

Instead of competing on the baseball field this spring, Siebenmorgen has transferred his energies elsewhere.

“I’ve been able to do some of the other things that I really enjoy — like being outdoors,” he said. “I’ve gone fishing plenty. Turkey season is starting. And lately I’ve gotten into woodworking. I’ve been able to do some things that I haven’t been able to do in years past because I’ve been involved in sports.”

Not that he doesn’t miss baseball. He misses it a lot.

But rather than dwell on the negative, Siebenmorgen chooses to focus more on the positive.

“Right now, I’m just trying to make the best of it,” he said. “It’s

SOPHIASTRAM

PHOTO COURTESY OF SOPHIA STRAM

SOCCER PLAYER | BISHOP MIEGE

Sophia Stram leaves Bishop Miege as the school’s all-time leading scorer, a feat she accomplished in only three seasons. Although her Miege career is over, she will continue her soccer career at Saint Louis University next year.

PHOTO COURTESY MOLLY HARMON PHOTOGRAPHY, WWW.MOLLYHARMONPHOTOGRAPHY.COM

IGH SCHOOL

’s life for as long as she can remember. After coming up short of a state championship last season, Hillmer believed the 2020 version of

or says goodbye to her first love — softball The game created a special bond between the two.

“He loved watching me play.

We had that bond because he grew up coaching me,” she said.

“It’s definitely been hard on the both of us.

“We kind of reflect on it — all the memories, all the things we were looking forward to.

“We just try to understand that this is God’s plan for us, and we have to control what we can control and let it all happen.”

But letting go hasn’t been easy.

Hillmer has started as a catcher for Hayden since she was a freshman. In the past two off seasons, she’s worked with former major league baseball player Ken Berry

to improve her hitting. And after coming up one run short in the regional round to eventual state champion Augusta High School, Hillmer felt that 2020 could be the year Hayden took home the state championship.

“We had a great team chemistry. I could tell that from only practicing a few days,” she said.

“We all really wanted it, especially our seniors. We all knew we could do it, too.”

Now that chance will fall under the category of “what might have been.”

As she waits out the coronavirus pandemic, Hillmer longs for the action on the field and the chance to build stronger

relationships with her coaches and teammates.

“I miss suiting up and catching and hitting — but mostly being around the girls and the fun memories and everything that comes along with that,” she said.

The pandemic has taught her that she can never take anything for granted.

“This has definitely been an eye-opening situation — my senior year ending so abruptly and not having softball,” she said.

“It’s opened my eyes to live every moment as its your last because you never really know if it’s going to be taken away from you or not.”

I

Soccer star regrets unfinished business

n her three years as a member of Roeland Park’s Bishop Miege girls soccer team, Sophia Stram has won three state titles. Because of COVID-19, she won’t get a chance to win a fourth.

“It’s hard not representing our school and being with the girls I love to play with,” she said.

“Some of my best friends are on the team. And lately, we just reminisce about our past three seasons.”

In last year’s Class 4A state championship game, Stram was a beast, scoring four goals in the first half to lead Miege to a 4-0 victory. But it was her third goal that garnered the most attention. On a pass from a teammate, she stopped the ball — with her face — and while the ball was in midair, launched a sideways kick that soared just past the outstretched hands of the goalie and into the net.

“I was trying to chest the ball to settle it, but it hit me in the side of the face and really hurt my jaw,” she said. “I just decided, I’m going for it. It usually wouldn’t go in if I shot it like that.”

Not only was it a spectacular shot, but it also gave her the Miege record for career goals.

Stram started for Miege since she was a freshman. She counts winning the state title that year with her two older sisters as one of the highlights of her career.

She was hoping to continue that career this year by adding to her career goals record and winning a fourth state championship.

“I know that this year’s team was going to be really strong,” Stram said. “We were going to be really young, but everyone was really talented. I saw last year’s seniors get a fourth state championship win. I was hoping that we would get to carry on that tradition.

“Not just for the soccer program but for the school.”

If she has any regrets, it’s not being able to play on the new turf at Dixon Doll Stadium before a home crowd one last time.

“Even though we didn’t have as many fans as football, we still had good crowds,” she said.

“I’ll miss every small thing that played a part in a home game — the introductions or just looking up in the stands and seeing my parents.

“I loved Miege and I loved playing at that field and the community behind it.”

Three-sport athlete makes the best of a tough situation been nice and refreshing to stop, take a breath and do some other things.”

Still, Siebenmorgen can’t help but think what might have been.

As an All Northeast Kansas League pitcher and a strong hitter as well, Siebenmorgen led the Ravens to an undefeated regular season in 2019 and the No. 2 ranking in the state. The team would lose their only game last year in the regional championship game to Sabetha High School, which went on to take the state championship.

He thought this year’s Ravens baseball team could be even better than last.

“I felt that this was our year,” Siebenmorgen said. “We had a couple of promising freshmen coming in that had played on traveling teams and were very productive. I really thought this year was our year to make our run and go to state and try to take the title.”

Unfortunately, the Ravens aren’t going to get the chance to prove

Siebenmorgen right. Despite not getting to finish out his baseball career as he would have liked, Siebenmorgen has great memories of the game.

“I’ve met a lot of people playing baseball. It’s taught me a lot of core values that I stand on today — like hard work,” he said. “It’s especially true at Maur Hill. We have a lot of pride on the field and we put a lot of time and effort into the game.

“It wasn’t always the most fun thing, but it has taught me some skills I can take on through the rest of my life.”

Even with his disappointment in not getting to play his final season of baseball, Siebenmorgen has a good attitude about it.

“It’s disappointing not to be able to finish my senior year,” he said.

“It’s disappointing not to be able to finish baseball. It’s really disappointing.

“But I’m trying to make the best out of it and stay positive because a lot of people have it a lot worse.”

ABESIEBENMORGEN

BASEBALL PLAYER | MAUR HILL-MOUNT ACADEMY

PHOTO COURTESY OF ABE SIEBENMORGEN

As an all-league pitcher in 2019, Abe Siebenmorgen helped Maur Hill-Mount Academy baseball to an undefeated regular season.

MAY 1, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG

FAMILY LIFE

I

Letter to my post-quarantine self

’m writing to remind you of how things were during the COVID-19 pandemic, to chronicle some lessons you learned and to remind you of the kind of change you wished to see in your life after lockdown.

For starters, you should not quit your day job. You are neither a good barber nor hair colorist.

You are, however, a decent cook. You learned to make flavorful, satisfying meals out of the remnants of your pantry, drawing upon the “Italian peasant” part of your genome sequence and your grandparents’ legacy of living through the Great Depression.

It felt good to use the produce, canned goods and spices you had before buying more. You bought what was available, not what you craved. Your habits of consumption changed because of scarcity and limited windows of time to shop. You thought of the poor each time you sat down to eat, and you prayed for them.

You promised not to take for granted the opportunity to sit face-toface with family members and friends, and you committed to putting away your phone when you were with them. Zoom and FaceTime were cheap imitations of the real thing, but they did foster connection when you needed it. You checked in

ELISE ITALIANO URENECK Elise Italiano Ureneck is the associate director of the Center for the Church in the 21st Century at Boston College.

on your grandmother more often and you made it a point to reach out to your single friends and those you knew who were lonely.

You swore off judging anyone else’s parenting style (egregious and abusive behavior aside).

You swapped stories with fellow parents of what it was like to be on video conference calls while holding a teething baby, worry about putting food on the table, navigate digital platforms to download your children’s homework and make your home function as a school, office, gym, playground and cafeteria without any set change or intermission.

There was a lot more solidarity between stayat-home moms, working

moms and work-fromhome moms — and dads, too. You thought that single parents and caregivers should have their canonization causes opened now. No need to wait for a posthumous examination.

You finally understood what the term “domestic church” meant and lived your Catholicism very locally. You created little altars and spaces for prayer in your new home parish and decided that even when you could receive Communion again, you would keep making spiritual ones.

You thought often of the people you encountered on your mission trip to Guatemala who received the Eucharist once a year at most, and how joyful — and loud — their celebration was when the priest arrived in their village to offer that one Mass. You picked up the Bible more (and even read it!).

Some days were slow and some days flew by.

You noticed your infant son’s hair come in a little more each day and understood how God could in fact number the hairs on our heads. Sustained, careful attention turned out to be quite important.

You tried to keep a rhythm to your life: The Sabbath was for leisure while the rest of the week was for the circus. It was important to dress smartly for Mass and for holidays,

to mark birthdays and feast days, to send cards and letters. You made sure to thank the ordinary heroes who were risking themselves for their families and the common good.

You smiled at people six feet away from you on your walks and when you had to wear a mask, you waved instead. You thought more intentionally about what it meant to love your neighbor. You stopped reading news after the dinner hour because it was too hard and the statistics were oppressive.

You were grateful for a reprieve from the culture wars and incessant political coverage, especially in an election year. You were sad the abortion clinics stayed open but grateful that the elderly, disabled and infirm got their due.

You were hopeful that people would extend that radical solidarity to pregnant women and children in time.

You made lists of places you wanted to show your son when you could travel again: national parks, New York City and St. Peter’s Square. The latter two gained even more meaning and historical significance during this period.

It was a time of great anxiety, but hope was more prevalent. It was a time of darkness, but springtime ­— and Easter — eventually came.

Zoom prep ‘makes perfect sense’

Natural family planning courses offered online An online course in the sympto-thermal method of natural family planning is available at your convenience.

Multiple live class times and dates are scheduled in the upcoming days and weeks, and a self-paced version is also available.

A reasonable course fee is charged and online registration required at: www.ccli. org.

Call Dana or Eric Runnebaum at (785) 380-0062 or go online to: nfptopeka.blog spot.com for more information about NFP classes offered by the Couple to Couple League.

Albert and Betty (Bowhay) Olberding, members of St. Mary Parish, St. Benedict, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on May 9. The couple was married May 9, 1970 at Sts. Peter and Paul Church in Seneca by the bride’s uncle, Father Germain Kuckelman, OSB. Their children are: Michele Dugan, Mary Ann Olberding (deceased), Monica Countryman, Ryan Olberding and Gerard Olberding. They also have nine grandchildren. They hope to celebrate the event with a Mass on June 7.

Sally and John Bukaty, members of the Cathedral of St. Peter Parish, Kansas C i t y , Kansas, will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary on May 9. The couple was married May 9, 1970, in Philadelphia.

They have one son, J. Andrew Bukaty, and two grandchildren. They will celebrate later this year due to the present pandemic.

John and Margaret Stattelman, members of Christ the King Parish, Topeka, will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary on May 7.

The couple was married on May 7, 1960, at St. Joseph Church, Topeka.

They have a daughter, Lacy Kippes, and two granddaughters.

>> Continued from page 3 “And that’s been nice to just see their faces and see if we’re losing them or not.”

A godsend Ann Baldridge and Eric Thompson both work in Topeka, but Thompson lives about 45 minutes away in Oskaloosa. The online marriage preparation has been, because of that distance involved, a godsend.

With their wedding set for July 17 at St. Matthew Church in Topeka, the couple signed up for their marriage preparation a little later than they had originally planned.

“We just started on [April 14], actually,” said Baldridge. “Ours was supposed to be the last few Sundays of March and the first couple Sundays in April. But that didn’t happen.”

While some of the couples are at least able to “attend” the Zoom meeting when physically together, Baldridge and Thompson can’t even do that because of the distance between them.

For the “discussion” part of each session, they have to call each other.

Baldridge said couples are encouraged to write individually for five minutes and then talk as couples for another five to 10 minutes, depending on

10

ANNIVERSARYsubmissions submissions ANNIVERSARY

LEAVEN PHOTO BY JULIE ANDERSON

Ann Baldridge and Eric Thompson both work in Topeka, but Thompson lives in Oskaloosa. The online marriage preparation has been great for the couple because of the distance involved. the activity or topic. Additionally, the couple said they were encouraged to continue their conversations long after the videoconference ends on any given night.

Although the Zoom prep is not what they had envisioned for their marriage preparation experience, Baldridge and Thompson said they understand the

need for the format change.

“Given the current circumstances, it made perfect sense,” Thompson said.

“Still, every person I know who has gone through marriage prep has done it in person, so it’s kind of strange in that regard.

“I’m glad they, on the spur of the moment, came up with something.”

POLICY: The Leaven prints 50, 60, 65 and 70th anniversary notices. They are for parishioners in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING: • The couple’s names • their parish • the date they were married • church and city where they were married • what they are doing to celebrate • date of the celebration • names of children (no spouses) • number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren; WHERE TO SUBMIT: Send notices to: todd.habiger@ theleaven.org.

MAY 1, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG

NATION

11

Indiana volunteers learn homeless at shelter ‘are not a stereotype’

By Natalie Hoefer Catholic News Service

N

EW ALBANY, Ind. (CNS) — When Katelyn Stumler’s husband, Craig, needed someone to cover his volunteer shift at a New Albany homeless shelter for two hours on a cold night in February, “begrudgingly, I said I’d do it,” she admitted.

But she found serving the service transformative. “It was an incredible experience. . . . That was the spark that lit the flame of my personal involvement and dedication to this cause.”

Craig Stumler was one of the first to volunteer at the Homeless Coalition of Southern Indiana’s White Flag homeless shelter program in New Albany after it launched.

It’s a volunteer-based program similar to one in Chicago that rotates the shelter location among participating churches.

It was started in the fall of 2016 using the gym — complete with a kitchen and showers — donated by the local Salvation Army.

“White Flag” is a term used nationally by homeless shelters. To protect as many lives as possible on frigid nights, a white flag is placed near a shelter’s entrance indicating they will accept those in need beyond their regular capacity.

“My personal response was I thought it was a great cause, and I was glad my husband was involved.

But it was December, which is super busy for me preparing the Christmas liturgy,” said Katelyn Stumler, director of liturgical music ministries for Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish.

Our Lady of Perpetual Help, along with St. Elizabeth Catholic Charities in New Albany, is one of several parishes that help provide volunteers for the shelter.

Today, Katelyn Stumler coordinates Our Lady of Perpetual Help volunteers with her husband.

“It’s a powerful experience to know I’m in some way saving people’s lives by not letting them sleep in the cold,” she told The Criterion, newspaper of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.

From Nov. 15 through April 15, White Flag conditions are announced when temperatures are forecast below 35 degrees for four consecutive hours between 7 p.m.-7 a.m. On those nights, volunteers staff the shelter to provide air mattresses and linens, a hot meal, breakfast and a sack lunch for the guests.

The numbers prove the need. From Nov. 15, 2019, through Feb. 6, the White Flag shelter was open 29 nights and had a total of 237 visits from 69 unique guests. Since its inception, the shelter has provided 197 nights of respite from the cold, adding up to 1,716 visits from 240 individual guests, and averaging 20 guests per night.

“During the months of March and April, we were only open two nights,” because “the temperatures were not cold enough to open the shelter,” said Jess Tandy, project manager for the Homeless Coalition of Southern Indiana that runs the White Flag program.

As a result, the shelter did not see an increase in clients due to COVID19, like other shelters have across the country.

“We did have a plan in place in the event that we needed it,” Tandy said.

“We also did see many volunteers who were scheduled to work certain nights

CNS PHOTO/NATALIE HOEFER, THE CRITERION

Peggy and Larry Richards of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in New Albany, Ind., prepare the city’s local Salvation Army gym for those in need of shelter from the cold Feb. 7. of the month say they would not come in to volunteer if open because they were in the high-risk group. But it’s hard to say just how many volunteers dropped out since we never had to open.”

Like Katelyn Stumler, who filled in at the White Flag shelter that cold February night, many other volunteers have been profoundly impacted by the experience.

“I’ve heard a number of parishioners talk about how they have really changed the way they view homelessness,” says Mary Pettit, White Flag coordinator for St. Mary Parish in New Albany. “They’ve learned that these people aren’t a stereotype — they’re actual people struggling with different issues that put them in this position. And many of [the] homeless are actually working.”

Mark Russell is one example.

The Criterion spoke with him as he enjoyed a hot cup of coffee at the White Flag shelter Feb. 7.

Russell, 32, aged out of foster care and has spent the past 13 years “on and off the streets.” He works part-time as a chef at a local restaurant. But the pay is not enough to afford housing, and he has struggled to find additional work.

“I understand the need to help [people] overseas,” said Russell. “But there are people right here in need.

There are several veterans on the street, and that’s just not right. . . .

People look at the homeless as lazy, drug addicts or bums. It’s true that some on the streets want to be there.

But for some, things in their life just didn’t work out.”

This was true for a couple Pettit encountered. She met them at a Christmas Day open house for the homeless her parish started two years ago, since “everything is closed that day and they have nowhere to get out of the cold.”

The woman had been in a devastating accident, which resulted in a broken spine and injuries to internal organs. The man quit his job to care

CNS PHOTO/NATALIE HOEFER, THE CRITERION

Dee Traub of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish in New Albany, Ind., chats with Mark Russell and two other guests while they enjoy a hot meal at the shelter Feb. 7. for her. Medical bills piled up, and they could no longer afford housing.

“You see how one incident in life put them in a situation where they had no control on where they lived,” said Pettit. “It makes you think how, but for the grace of God, that could be me.”

Helping those in need is “service to God that we’re all called to do,” said Larry Richards, who has volunteered for White Flag with his wife, Peggy, since its inception.

Pettit agreed.

“Putting your faith in action makes you appreciate the compassionate Christ,” she said. “You just know that each and every one of us is a gift, and each person we encounter is someone’s daughter or son. Theology becomes actually your life, not just an idea.”

But eradicating homelessness “is not a quick fix. It’s not something that will go away overnight,” said Katelyn Stumler. “We really need to keep this

[shelter] open to provide a safe place for people to get a good night’s sleep in a warm place.”

The shelter could use more volunteer help, said Celeste Cook, White Flag senior site captain. She is one of three hired staff who work from 6:30 p.m.-7:30 a.m. to handle situations should they arise.

“We’re here to keep everything safe and happy for everyone,” she said. “We like to give our volunteers a good experience so they keep coming back, and we want our guests to have a good experience so they feel safe and comfortable when they’re here.”

Russell expressed his gratitude for the shelter and its volunteers.

“I always say God will make a way and give you what you need when you need it,” he said. “Here, I get a warm bed, a good meal, the volunteers are all nice and friendly. . . . I see God at work here.”

MAY 1, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG

WORLD

Serenading priests bring neighbors together

By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service

R

OME (CNS) — While the coronavirus pandemic has forced people in Madrid to isolate themselves in their apartments, it also has paradoxically brought people together in new and unexpected ways.

Spain, which has surpassed Italy with more than 213,000 people infected with COVID-19, went on lockdown March 15.

Seeing so many people in the neighborhood stand on their balconies applauding those on the front lines of the pandemic “brought a lot of joy to my heart,” Father Gabriel Benedicto, pastor of the Church of Our Lady of La Paloma in Madrid told Catholic News Service April 23.

Like many priests around the world, Father Benedicto had no choice but to close the doors of his parish when the lockdown went into effect.

As he and the other priests in his parish locked the doors, Father Benedicto said he was faced with a question that countless priests have asked themselves amid the pandemic: “What do we do now?”

A parishioner sent him a message suggesting that he start using the parish YouTube channel, but “I thought it was something foolish and I didn’t even answer back,” he said.

“That weekend, all we did was proclaim the Word and distribute Communion to any person who came to the church.”

But one day, after seeing people applauding from their balconies, Father Benedicto had a change of heart.

“One priest said to me, ‘Hey, we need to sing!’ And I said, ‘Yes. Tomorrow we must sing,’ because it was this spontaneous feeling that came from the heart,” he told CNS. The following day, Father

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Chinese students in New York arrange medical gear shipment

S CNS PHOTO/YOUTUBE

Father Gabriel Benedicto, pastor of the Church of Our Lady of La Paloma in Madrid, speaks via Zoom video chat April 23. The Spanish priest, along with other priests at the parish, have been serenading their parish neighborhood with a festive repertoire of music since March during a nationwide lockdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Benedicto and the other priests of the parish grabbed their guitars and serenaded the neighborhood with a festive repertoire of music, including “La Vida es un Carnaval” (“Life is a carnival”) by famed Cuban artist Celia Cruz.

In addition to people watching live, thousands viewed the video and subscribed to the parish YouTube channel.

It wasn’t what he was expecting, he said, “but it was what God had in mind. In fact, for me, it’s very uncomfortable to celebrate [Mass] in front of a camera; it seems very ‘artificial,’ and it’s hard to do because all you see is cables and lenses.”

Nevertheless, Father Benedicto said that he, along with the three priests and a young missionary who live at the parish, “threw ourselves into this adventure” and were consoled that their parishioners and neighbors could “end the day finding some of the peace that only God can give.”

As viewership grew on the channel, the priests not only posted videos of their daily outdoor concerts, but

also livestreamed Masses, catechism for children and prayer services for deceased loved ones.

“There are a lot of people who didn’t really go to Mass [before] and, in different ways, whether through friends who told them or a relative who died, connected to the Mass online to pray for the deceased,” he said.

The priests’ new popularity has brought new opportunities for ministry, including the celebration of a wedding where, because of lockdown restrictions, only the newlyweds and their parents could be present.

“We also were the photographers; we carried the train of the bride’s dress. We did everything,” he said. “It was truly a beautiful moment and the couple [was] grateful that all their guests could connect” online and celebrate with them.

Despite the isolative nature of the lockdown, Father Benedicto told CNS that through the daily outdoor concerts and online presence, people “found a parish that up until now seemed invisible even though it was right in front of them.”

OUTH HUNTINGTON, N.Y. (CNS) — Two Chinese students at a Catholic high school in a suburb of New York are looking to make a difference in helping to slow the spread of the coronavirus in the U.S. In late March, senior Mengze Li and freshman Lixin Yan of the Franciscan-run St. Anthony’s High School in South Huntington returned home to China, where they have since procured 10,000 sterilized medical-grade face masks and protective clothing for distribution to international schoolmates who remain with their host families on Long Island amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

They also have earmarked a portion of their supplies for hospital workers on Long Island, a COVID-19 hot spot with more than 61,000 confirmed cases as of April 24.

Nearly 2,400 people in the region have died from virus-related illnesses, including one parent and nearly 50 grandparents of St. Anthony’s students. Li and Yan are among the 247 international students from 16 nations who attend St. Anthony’s, a school with an enrollment of 2,419. Half of the foreign students returned to their home countries after New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo ordered state schools to close in mid-March because of the expanding health crisis.

It remains uncertain if the schools will reopen before the end of the academic year. Alex Kissel, director of St. Anthony’s international program, said Li, whose nickname is D’Angelo, reached out to the school once he arrived at his home in China. He wanted to help the school community in its time of need, Kissel said.

“D’Angelo said, ‘I have this idea, this is what I want to do,’” Kissel recalled.

“He wasn’t asking for help. We’ve done very little other than to help coordinate the shipping. It’s been the students’ efforts.”

Texts of Pope Francis’ prayers to recite at end of rosary

ATICAN CITY (CNS) — Here are the texts of two prayers, written by Pope Francis, for the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. He is asking people to recite the rosary and pray these prayers afterward.

FIRST PRAYER

O Mary, You shine continuously on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope. We entrust ourselves to you, Health of the Sick, who, at the foot of the cross, were united with Jesus’ suffering, and persevered in your faith.

“Protectress of the Roman people,” you know our needs, and we know that you will provide, so that, as at Cana in Galilee, joy and celebration may return after this time of trial.

Help us, Mother of Divine Love, to conform ourselves to the will of the Father and to do what Jesus tells us.

For he took upon himself our suffering, and burdened himself with our sorrows to bring us, through the cross, to the joy of the Resurrection. Amen.

We fly to your protection, O Holy

Mother of God; Do not despise our petitions in our necessities, but deliver us always from every danger, O Glorious and Blessed Virgin.

SECOND PRAYER

“We fly to your protection, O Holy Mother of God.” In the present tragic situation, when the whole world is prey to suffering and anxiety, we fly to you, Mother of God and our mother, and seek refuge under your protection.

Virgin Mary, turn your merciful eyes toward us amid this coronavirus pandemic. Comfort those who are distraught and mourn their loved ones who have died, and at times are buried in a way that grieves them deeply. Be close to those who are concerned for their loved ones who are sick and who, in order to prevent the spread of the disease, cannot be close to them. Fill with hope those who are troubled by the uncertainty of the future and the consequences for the economy and employment.

Mother of God and our Mother, pray

for us to God, the father of mercies, that this great suffering may end and that hope and peace may dawn anew.

Plead with your divine Son, as you did at Cana, so that the families of the sick and the victims be comforted, and their hearts be opened to confidence and trust.

Protect those doctors, nurses, health workers and volunteers who are on the frontline of this emergency, and are risking their lives to save others. Support their heroic effort and grant them strength, generosity and continued health.

Be close to those who assist the sick night and day, and to priests who, in their pastoral concern and fidelity to the Gospel, are trying to help and support everyone.

Blessed Virgin, illumine the minds of men and women engaged in scientific research, that they may find effective solutions to overcome this virus.

Support national leaders, that with wisdom, solicitude and generosity they may come to the aid of those lacking the basic necessities of life and may devise social and economic solutions

inspired by farsightedness and solidarity.

Mary Most Holy, stir our consciences, so that the enormous funds invested in developing and stockpiling arms will instead be spent on promoting effective research on how to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.

Beloved Mother, help us realize that we are all members of one great family and to recognize the bond that unites us, so that, in a spirit of fraternity and solidarity, we can help to alleviate countless situations of poverty and need. Make us strong in faith, persevering in service, constant in prayer.

Mary, Consolation of the afflicted, embrace all your children in distress and pray that God will stretch out his all-powerful hand and free us from this terrible pandemic, so that life can serenely resume its normal course.

To you, who shine on our journey as a sign of salvation and hope, do we entrust ourselves, O Clement, O Loving, O Sweet Virgin Mary. Amen.

MAY 1, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG

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

Director of advancement - Bishop Miege High School is seeking a full-time director of advancement. This position works under the direction of the high school president and the president of the foundation, implementing capital campaign strategies, major gifts, annual giving, and community-wide fundraising and is also responsible for communications, alumni relations and management of the development office staff. The candidate is expected to uphold the mission of Bishop Miege High School and promote the school in the most positive way possible.

The desired candidate will possess a bachelor’s degree with a minimum of three years’ professional experience in education fundraising, marketing, business, public relations, communications or related field. Excellent written, oral and interpersonal communication skills are required, and the ability to work independently and as part of a team is essential. The ideal candidate will be a practicing Catholic in good standing and a faithful steward in their parish. Send letter of interest, resume and references to: mjaksa@bishopmiege.com.

Career opportunity – Due to the success and growth of the Knights of Columbus, we are adding a financial representative in the Kansas City, Kansas, and Missouri metro areas, St. Joseph, Mo., and ??, Mo. This is ideal for a determined, high energy, high expectation, professional, self-disciplined, independent individual, who desires to serve others yet earn a better than average income. We provide top-rated financial products to our members and their families, and will provide excellent benefits and training. This is a full-time position. For more information or an interview, please contact John A. Mahon, General Agent, 1275 S.W. Topeka Blvd., Topeka, KS 66612; call (855) 3564849; or email: mahonagencymail2@kofc.org.

Caretaker needed - PRN needed on Thursdays and Saturdays to help with meds and getting in and out of bed. Call Deloris at (913) 788-9110.

Video marketing specialist - Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas is actively seeking an experienced video marketing specialist to support and promote the agency’s mission. This position will be responsible for creating compelling visual stories of hope through video and photography, as well as provide graphic design support.

Apply at: Details/269874/Catholic-Charities-of-NortheastKansas-INC/Video-Marketing-Specialist.

Principal - St. Thomas More Parish seeks a principal committed to Catholic education with strong leadership, communication and motivational skills. The position will begin on July 1, 2020. More information and application can be found at the following link: careers.hireology.com/ thecatholicdioceseofkansascitystjoseph, and then scroll down to: St. Thomas More School.

Middle school science teacher - Holy Spirit Catholic School in Overland Park is seeking a middle school science teacher for the 2020-21 school year. This individual must possess a Kansas teaching certification; an endorsement in science is a plus. Interested candidates please send an email to: mwatson@hscatholic.org for more information.

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

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

Local handyman - Painting int. and ext., wood rot, power washing, staining, masonry (chimney repair, patio’s) gutter cleaning, water heaters, junk removal, lawn mowing, window cleaning, honey - do list and more!!

Member of Holy Angels Parish, Basehor. Call Billy at (913) 927-4118.

Popcorn texture removed and apply knockdown texture.

Renew your walls with a fresh coat of quality paint!

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

The Drywall Doctor, Inc. – A unique solution to your drywall problems! We fix all types of ceiling and wall damage — from water stains and stress cracks to texture repairs and skim coating. We provide professional, timely repairs and leave the job site clean! Lead-certified and insured! Serving the metro since 1997. Call (913) 768-6655.

NELSON CREATIONS Affordable home remodeling: Kitchens, baths, basements and room additions.

All interior and exterior work.

Honest, dependable, experienced and family owned.

Licensed and insured. Member St. Joseph Parish, Shawnee.

(913) 927-5240 or nelsport@everestkc.net Concrete construction - Tear out and replace amped, stained or colored patios and drives. Retaining walls, footings, poured-in-place safe rooms, excavation and hauling. Asphalt drives and lots. Fully insured; references. Call Dan at (913) 207-4371 or send an email to: dandeeconst@aol.com.

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

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

Everything is guaranteed 100% (913) 461-4052 www.windowservicesoverlandpark.com drcconswindows@gmail.com Rusty Dandy Painting, Inc. – We have been coloring your world for 40 years. Your home will be treated as if it were our own. Old cabinets will be made to look like new. Dingy walls and ceilings will be made beautiful. Woodwork will glow. Lead-certified and insured. Call (913) 341-9125.

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

SERVICES Handyman - Furloughed railroader trying to keep the bills paid for my family. I advertised here as Father and Son Home Exteriors and Remodeling for 13 years previously. I can do carpentry, windows, doors, trim, siding and decks. Also paint, sheetrock and tiling. No project too big or too small.

Give me a call and ask for Josh at (913) 709-7230.

Bankruptcy consultation - If debts are overwhelming you, seek hope and help from compassionate, experienced Catholic attorney, Teresa Kidd. For a free consultation, call (913) 422-0610; send an email to: tkidd@kc.rr.com; or visit the website at: www.teresakiddlawyer.com. Please do not wait until life seems hopeless before getting good quality legal advice that may solve your financial stress.

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

Call Joe, mention The Leaven discount.

A Total Door (913) 236-6440.

Doll dresses - First Communion dresses for American Girl dolls or any 18” dolls. To include dress, veil, shoes, tights and cross necklace for $35. Call (913) 345-9498 or send an email to: wwelch4@kc.rr.com to order. The dress is on display at Trinity House, 6731 W. 119th St., Overland Park.

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.

Tree trimming/landscaping Free estimates licensed/insured/references (913) 620-6063 Mike Hammer local moving - A full-service mover.

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

Custom countertops - Laminates installed within five days.

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

Members of St. Joseph, Shawnee.

8 to Your Ideal Weight Get Real, Get Healthy, Get Empowered.

Release your weight and restore your power in 8 weeks! http://8toyouridealweight.com/coach/kathi/ Masonry work - Quality new or repair work. Brick, block and chimney/fireplace repair. Insured; second-generation bricklayer. Member of St. Paul Parish, Olathe. Call (913) 829-4336.

REAL ESTATE For sale - New story-and-a-half energy-efficient country home off of blacktop on five acres. Twenty minutes from Lawrence and Topeka. Three bedroom, two-and-a-half bath with unfinished basement, main floor laundry room and attached two-car garage. For sale by builder. Call Cody at (785) 383-4590. $325K

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Able to pay a small amount of rent. Have been tested for the COVID-19 virus; test was negative (healthy). Call (913) 6021289.

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WE SELL HOMES - Looking to sell? This is a seller’s market.

Call for a free consultation detailing the steps to selling your home. Ask about our 39-day sales guarantee. Mention this ad for a special offer. Call Jim Blaufuss, Re/Max Realty Suburban, at (913) 226-7442. Jimblaufuss@remax.net.

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

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

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

Will buy firearms and related accessories - One or a whole collection. Honest evaluation and top prices paid.

Contact Tom at (913) 238-2473. Member of Sacred Heart Parish, Shawnee.

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

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Original cost $2500; asking $1500. Call (785) 215-8689 for details.

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)

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For sale - 2014 Sunseeker 3170DS Ford 450, gas, fully loaded, including cameras on side and rear, two slides, self-leveling jack, sleeps 9-10 with bunk beds. Stored in cave when not in use since purchased. Three entertainment centers with TV and DVD with each. Single owner and well maintained with 49,000 miles. Information booklets for all equipment. (913) 390-1976; Dgamber3@ comcast.net.

CAREGIVING Looking for assisted living at home? - Before you move, call us and explore our in-home care options. We specialize in helping families live safely at home while saving thousands of dollars per year. Call today for more information or to request a FREE home care planning guide.

Benefits of Home - Senior Care, www.benefitsofhome. com or call (913) 422-1591.

Caregiving - Caregiver available - reasonable rates, years of experience with all kinds of medical issues and conditions. Can do days, nights, weekends and help with food preparation and basic personal care. Have worked with elderly clients and children. Have been tested for COVID-19 and am negative. Charges $125 per day. Will consider live-in. Call (913) 602-1289.

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.

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The appearance of advertising in The Leaven is not an endorsement by either the newspaper or the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. The Leaven attempts to screen advertisers and copy, but is not responsible for claims and representations made in advertisements.

MAY 1, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG

COMMENTARY FOURTH WEEK OF EASTER May 3 FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER Acts 2: 14a, 36-41 Ps 23: 1-6 1 Pt 2: 20b-25 Jn 10: 1-10 May 4 Monday Acts 11: 1-18 Pss 42: 2-3; 43: 3-4 Jn 10: 11-18 May 5 Tuesday Acts 11: 19-26 Ps 87: 1b-7 Jn 10: 22-30 May 6 Wednesday Acts 12:24 – 13:5a Ps 67: 2-3, 5-6, 8 Jn 12: 44-50 May 7 Thursday Acts 13: 13-25 Ps 89: 2-3, 21-22, 25, 27 Jn 13: 16-20 May 8 Friday Acts 13: 26-33 Ps 2: 6-11b Jn 14: 1-6 May 9 Acts 13: 44-52 Ps 98: 1-4 Jn 14: 7-14

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Here’s some food for thought

I

’ve started wearing a facemask even when I’m at home.

It’s not to protect me from the virus, but to keep me from snacking every time I go through the kitchen!

This clever meme rings so true. In the Croatian community where I grew up, food was an essential part of any gathering. One wouldn’t dream of having a party and not include at least three types of meat, Croatian potato salad and slaw, a variety of vegetables, povitica and strudel, and, of course, plenty of beverages to wash it all down.

Another unwritten rule was to prepare enough food for those expected to be in attendance . . . as well as any random tour bus that might, just possibly, show up. And you would be talked about forever if you didn’t provide everyone with a care package to take home.

I remember taking my mom aside one day when some friends were visiting to gently remind her that “no”

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.

means “no” when someone refuses “thirds.” It didn’t mean they didn’t like what was served!

I feel so blessed to have never experienced hunger. Sadly, that’s not true for so many.

I return often to this story from Mother Teresa: “Some time ago,” she recalled, “a gentleman came to our house and said, ‘There is a

Hindu family with eight children that have not eaten for some time.

Kindly go and see them.’

I took rice with me and I went, and when I arrived, I could see the children’s faces shining with hunger.

“I gave the rice to the mother. She divided it into two and went out. When she came back, I asked: ‘Where did you go and what did you do?’ She answered: ‘They are hungry also.’

“I asked, ‘Who are they?’ And she said, ‘A Muslim family next door.’

“I was struck very much — not so much by what she did as by the fact she knew they

were hungry; that she saw their hunger, she felt their hunger and, therefore, she had the courage to share with them. This is the greatness of poor people.

Love, to be true, has to hurt.” (Story found in Anthony Castle’s “More Quips, Quotes & Anecdotes for Preachers and Teachers.”)

Sometimes, I live in a bubble. Over the past few weeks, a good number of stories in The Leaven have popped that bubble, especially when it comes to the issue of hunger. Obviously, we Catholics have a deep, spiritual hunger for the Eucharist. But I’d forgotten those folks who feel the pangs of physical hunger.

How gratifying it’s been to read about people in the archdiocese who’ve stepped forward — courageously — to address this issue: Catholic Charities, individual parishes, The Learning Center and the “lunch ladies” still feeding kids even though there’s no

school, just to name a few.

Recently, a childhood friend of mine, local artist Mike Savage, painted an original work to raise funds for No Kid Hungry Kansas City.

With each donation, people were entered into a drawing for the painting.

Hoping for an ambitious $1000, he ended up raising over six times that amount!

Very few of us have the creative talent to do what Mike did, but we are all capable of doing something to satisfy the hunger of those struggling during this pandemic. It can be as simple as picking up a little “extra” on the next grocery run to donate to a food pantry, or preparing a meal to drop off for an elderly neighbor or a frazzled family.

Any effort to feed the hungry, no matter how small, can help us to feel their hunger — and come to understand what “comfort food” is really all about.

Pentecost converts were already well-prepared for baptism

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hen an adult joins the Catholic Church, typically the process takes about a year, especially if it includes preparation for the sacraments of baptism, confirmation and the Eucharist.

In some countries with a non-Christian background, the process may take even longer.

In Sunday’s first reading — Acts 2:14a, 36-41 — though, we see something very different.

After Peter preaches to the crowd, they immediately line up for baptism. He tells them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”

Consequently, a huge number receive the

IN THE BEGINNING

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

sacrament: “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.”

We should remember that all this happens on

the day of Pentecost, also called the Feast of Weeks, a Jewish feast when pilgrims would visit Jerusalem. Peter was addressing a large audience to begin with.

They originated from every corner of the Roman Empire.

That meant that they could share the good news about Jesus Christ to others when they returned home. Their conversion would help

POPE FRANCIS Only the humble submission of each individual to the Holy Spirit can bring harmony to communities suffering from division, Pope Francis said.

While money, vanity and gossip will always tear people apart, “the Holy Spirit is the master of harmony, he is capable of creating it,” but it must be done inside the heart of each individual and “many things must change within us,” the pope said in his homily at his morning Mass in the Domus Sanctae Marthae April 21.

At the start of the live broadcast of Mass, the pope

spread the faith throughout the world.

The pilgrims would stay in Jerusalem only for a short period of time, not nearly long enough for what we would now consider adequate preparation for baptism.

But Peter thought otherwise. He recognized that this Jewish audience had already received preparation through their Jewish faith.

They already had a belief in the one God. They were familiar with the Old Testament. They were expecting the arrival of the Messiah.

Peter only had to connect the dots. That is why he goes ahead and immediately baptizes them.

Eventually, the church would take a different approach. Severe persecution of the Christians

meant that they would need longer and more rigorous preparation to strengthen them in their faith in order for them to hold fast to it in the face of possible martyrdom.

Also, more and more of the converts to the Christian faith would come from a Gentile, rather than a Jewish, background. They would have no concept of the one God, but instead would have been accustomed to many gods.

The Old Testament would have been completely foreign to them, as well as the concept of a Messiah.

The church started to require a longer and more intensive preparation for baptism. This resulted in the catechumenate, which we now know as the RCIA, the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults.

first prayed that people would use the pandemic-induced time of increased silence in their lives to learn how to listen.

“There is a lot of silence in this period. You can even hear the silence,” which may be something very different from what people are used to, he said. “May this silence,” he prayed, “teach us to listen, make us grow in our ability to listen.”

In his homily, the pope reflected on the day’s first reading from the Acts of the Apostles, which describes the first community of Christians being of “one heart and mind,” giving up their possessions in order to meet everyone’s needs and living in harmony. The early Christian community is “a model” that God lets people see so they know what is possible “if we are open to the Holy Spirit, if we are docile,” the pope said.

— CNS

MAY 1, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG

COMMENTARY

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15

Our sacrifices today pale in comparison to our ancestors’

n good times, I am guilty of taking for granted our freedom to gather for celebrations of the sacraments, to worship and share the joy of the liturgical seasons, and to partake regularly in the holy Eucharist.

Years ago, when my husband and I began sharing in the role of sacristan for a few weekend Masses every month, we were given instructions for the rare occasion when a priest is not available to celebrate Mass.

That hasn’t happened yet. We could set our clocks by Father Pete (O’Sullivan).

We forget that the church is built from living stones. Before any government mandates were issued in Kansas in response to COVID-19, Kansas bishops acted decisively to ensure that

SIMPLY STEWARDSHIP

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

public safety measures were in place to prevent the spread of a dangerous virus.

Pastors closed their churches, increased online opportunities for prayer and worship, and comforted our people

with technological outreach we have never experienced before.

Although saddened by the limitations that have been imposed, I understand their necessity.

In our isolation, our “domestic church” thrives. My husband and I talk more, pray more and more frequently examine our consciences with apologies and expressions of gratitude.

With livestreaming of Sunday and daily Mass,

weeknight rosaries and Holy Hours, meditations and webinars offered by countless parishes and ministries, our little home “altar” has been a busy place.

None of us will be able to avoid carrying our crosses on the “Via Dolorosa” of life. The pandemic has led to tragic deaths of many loved ones, heroic sacrifices by our health care and public safety providers, and loss of income for millions of unemployed.

While many endure never-ending injustice in their lives, our temporary sacrifices and frustrations as Catholics during this historic pandemic are comparatively easy to “offer up.”

Throughout history, people professed their Catholic faith while seldom being able to receive the sacraments,

reminding me once again that “building the church” is what Christian stewards do every day as our “disciples’ response” for all that God has given us.

We hear, “The Lord be with you,” and gratefully respond, “And with your spirit.”

Buried in a cemetery in southeast Kansas are the remains of my great-great-grandparents.

On Vacslav’s tombstone are the Latin words “Dominus Vobiscum” and on Ludmilla’s is the Latin response: “Et Cum Spiritu Tuo.” Their testament was etched on their graves — and in the hearts of succeeding generations.

When settlers like my ancestors emigrated from their homes in other countries to Kansas, the church buildings we now take for granted had not yet

Note: #iGive CatholicTogether, sponsored by the Catholic Foundation of Northeast Kansas, and the Archbishop’s Call to Share are secure ways to offer online financial support for parishes, schools and Catholic ministries in our archdiocese during this critical time. been built.

This historic experience of the COVID19 epidemic is a gut-wrenching reminder that there are places in this world where Catholics face immense persecution.

Let’s never forget to be grateful for our religious freedom.

May our ‘new normal’ teach us something about their ‘old’

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e have so far weathered this present pandemic and its closure of churches, schools, restaurants, theaters, stadiums and “non-essential” businesses.

We have tackled shortages of paper products, disinfectants and certain foods. We have learned to make do with what we have here at home, to be content with phone calls and Zoom meetings, and to keep ourselves as best occupied as we can.

And, through God’s good grace and even our natural sense of optimism, we’ve remained hopeful for that time

AS THE CHURCH PRAYS

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

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preparation, and more careful personal and social practices.

We’ve believed, and of course with good reason, that this scourge shall eventually pass, and we are advised by both priest and politician to be patient, and remain at peace. And we’ve good reason to

Jim Larkin

Sam Garcia

heed their prudent counsel.

But there are those who will remain “in lockdown” even after the shopping centers and entertainment venues reopen. There are those who will continue to have recourse to “spiritual” Communions and “broadcast” liturgies.

There are those who will continue to pray that the phone rings, or that a card or letter arrives. They have already — some now for years — survived in this mode which seems so uncomfortable to us who are used to better.

They are the shut-ins.

Their “stay at home” order is not temporary.

Rare, if ever, are the times when they can

“just get out” for even a drive-thru meal.

Rarely, if ever, can they congregate for Mass, which means no less to them than it does to us. They’ve already embraced “social distancing” as the only “normal” they’ll ever again know.

Of course, some of these folks fare better than others. But none of them, and we’re talking about our neighbors here, will see things go back to even the new normal that so many of us are a little anxious about.

These insights came to me when fretting about how this Holy Week “just wouldn’t be the same” and wishing I could “just go out and enjoy a nice meal” for

a change. God’s grace can surely smack one’s vision back straight!

Like most crises, the present pandemic has given witness to the best of humanity and the worst of humanity, and not only in terms of deeds, but also of circumstances.

May we, then, deeply appreciate the circumstances of those whose lives will not really change that much once the “all clear” is sounded and the vast majority of us venture back out into the world.

But, then again, their lives could change — at least a little, and for the better — if we pause to think about it. “I was confined, and you visited me.”

LOCAL NEWS

MAY 1, 2020 | THELEAVEN.ORG

16

‘IT’S OK TO FEEL SAD’

Canceling events is socially responsible; feeling disappointed is human

By Jan Dixon Special to The Leaven

O

VERLAND PARK — It’s been a tough time.

In a matter of only a few weeks, a virus most of us had never even heard of a couple of months ago has led to school closings, “shelter in place” orders, and even the lockdown of entire countries.

We have learned new terms like “social distancing,” stocked up on hand sanitizer and now wash our hands incessantly.

And with each update of the never-ending news cycle, we learn anew what we should and should not be doing in the midst of this terrifying pandemic.

But how are we supposed to feel?

In a world that seems it’s turned upside down, many are feeling grief.

One of the world’s leading grief counselors, David Kessler, addressed the topic in a recent interview on the “Unlocking Us” podcast.

“We are all dealing with the collective loss of the world we knew,” he said, “and we are not used to this kind of grief.”

Disruptions to normal routines of daily life have contributed to a sense of unease and sadness. While mourning the loss of thousands of lives, we are also mourning the loss of normalcy.

“Grief can take the form of anger, worry, sadness, frustration,” said Liz LaColla, LSCSW, a Catholic clinical social worker and therapist in Topeka. “It doesn’t look the same every day, but it is a normal reaction to a loss.

“And it’s definitely OK to feel sad over what we’re losing.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused job loss, worry about loved ones, feelings of isolation and changes in daily habits.

Special plans and monumental events — like graduations and weddings and oncein-a-lifetime trips — have been canceled.

Financial worries and fear for the future have grown.

“It’s OK to feel sad and to grieve,” said Father Bill Bruning, pastor of Queen of the Holy Rosary Parish in Overland Park.

“These two words in the Bible — ‘Jesus wept’ — give us permission to have feelings of sadness and empathy.”

An article in the March edition of Harvard Business Review by Scott Berinato — “That Discomfort You’re Feeling Is Grief”— says it is common for people

Grief can be an isolating experience under normal circumstances, but social distancing and quarantines have made the process lonelier still. Not only are people unable to comfort others, a documented source of good feeling for humans, but they are also forced to grieve alone. to become distracted and for the mind to wander under stress, often falling into patterns of negative thinking, which is heightened during times of crisis.

“Loss is a reminder of how many things are out of our control,” said LaColla. “Sudden and unexpected loss can bring on feelings of anxiety and fear along with that grief.”

It becomes harder to see the bigger picture and the positive, creative possibilities ahead.

“We cannot allow ourselves to get stuck in our grief though,” said Father Bruning. “As Christians, we are sad and we grieve, but we know this crisis is temporary and we have hope.”

Grief can be an isolating experience under normal circumstances, but social distancing and quarantine have made the process lonelier still. Not only are people unable to comfort others, a documented source of good feeling for humans, but they are also forced to grieve alone.

Father Bruning suggests that we can turn our loneliness — “I am alone” — into something more productive: solitude.

Solitude is recognizing that I am alone . . . with my God. “Start by making a gratitude list of 15-20 good things about each day,” Father Bruning suggested. “Like the frost melting and leaving the leaves on the forsythia bright yellow in the sunshine. This is God’s way of saying he is here with us.”

While grieving a loss is an inevitable part of life, doing so can help us cope and come to terms with grief, eventually finding a way to pick up the pieces and move on with life.

“There is no right or wrong way to grieve, but there are healthy ways to deal with the grieving process,” said LaColla.

These tips from doctors, ministers and counselors can also help: 1. Let yourself feel your sadness. Release your emotions through crying, but believe in your own strength to get

through this time.

2. Share your feelings with someone who cares.

3. Chanel your creativity into a project that consumes your thoughts.

4. Exercise to relieve “feel good” endorphins to boost your mood.

5. Help others. Being there for others will bring you happiness.

6. Pray. God knows all about suffering.

Father Bruning suggested we look to Holy Thursday for comfort and encouragement. The words, “The night he was betrayed . . . he gave thanks,” tell us that no matter what was thrown at Jesus, the Father’s love was there.

“The victory was won for all of us on Easter Sunday. We know the end of the story,” he said.

These are challenging times and it’s not surprising that people are feeling scared, sad and even frustrated.

“We can rely on God during this crisis,” said LaColla. “He is our constant.”

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