Category: Faith

Faith news

To send in items for the Faith News, email information to [email protected].

A traditional corned beef and cabbage St. Patrick’s Day dinner will be held from 5:30 to 8 p.m. March 14 at Christ the King Catholic Church, Davern Hall, 3024 N. 53rd St. There will be traditional Irish music at the dinner. The cost of the dinner is $9 for adults and $4 for children 12 and younger. A hot dog or mac and cheese will be available for $3.

A weekly Scripture Group with Bible Sharing and Reflection, Lectio and Journaling, is offered from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. Wednesdays at Keeler Women’s Center, 2220 Central Ave., Kansas City, Kan. Heather Neds is a pastoral minister and leads the group at Keeler Women’s Center. Call 913-906-8990 to register.

Living Water United Methodist Church, 3001 N. 115th St., will hold its annual community Easter event from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, April 4. There will be an Easter egg hunt, carnival games, food and more. The event is free to the community, and all are welcome. For more information, visit livingwaterumc.net or call 913-400-7203.

Open Door Baptist Church, 3033 N. 103rd Terrace, is holding choir rehearsals from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on Sundays in preparation for the cantata, “We Will Remember,” that will be presented April 12, the Sunday after Easter.

Persons of all Christian traditions are invited to participate in Taizé prayer on Thursday, April 9 at 7 p.m. in Annunciation Chapel in the Mother House of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth, 4200 S. 4th St., Leavenworth, Kan. (The prayer session has been moved to the second Thursday due to Holy Thursday observance the first week of April.) Taizé prayer is a meditative, candlelit service that includes simple chants sung repeatedly, silence, and prayers of praise and intercession. These prayer services emerged from an ecumenical community of monks in Taizé, France. For more information, visit www.marillaccenter.org or call 913-680-2342.

St. Patrick Catholic Church, 1086 N. 94th, is holding fish dinners on Fridays during Lent. The dinners will be from 5 to 7 p.m. on Fridays. There will be fish and fried shrimp for $9, or boiled shrimp for $10, along with fries, slaw, roll, green beans and drink, or an alternate choice of macaroni and cheese. There is a family price for two adults and two or more children under 12 for $25.

Members of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 1300 N. 18th St., will observe the Stations of the Cross at 6:30 p.m. Friday, March 20; a light meal will be served after the service in the parish hall. The parish will observe the fifth Sunday in Lent at its 10 a.m. service March 22; there will be Lenten study sessions at 9 a.m. and 11:30 a.m. There will be a Spanish language service at 7 p.m. Sunday.

Stony Point Christian Church, 149 S. 78th St., is holding a weekly Easter study at 10 a.m. Wednesday at the church lounge. Stony Point is holding a Family Party at 5 p.m. Sunday, March 22, in the Cole Activity Center. The event includes games, devotions, families sharing vision, and refreshments.

Send in items for the Faith news to [email protected]. Please include your name and contact information.

KCKCC student group plans Catholic Mass

by Kelly Rogge
The Catholic Students of Kansas City Kansas Community College is planning a Celebration of Mass on March 23 (the first day after spring break) and is inviting all students, staff and faculty to attend.

The mass will be said by Archbishop Joseph Naumann, the archbishop of Kansas City, Kan. It will begin at 1 p.m. Monday, March 23, in Upper Jewell. Light refreshments will be served after the Mass, and there will also be an opportunity for a meet and greet with the archbishop. Bradley Herron, KCKCC student and the group’s coordinator said KCKCC is fortunate to have the archbishop attend.

“This will be a full Mass, but will be less than one hour,” he said. “Everyone is welcomed and encouraged to attend. You don’t have to be Catholic to attend.”

The group, which started last fall, is the first Catholic group on the KCKCC campus. Its purpose is to help all Catholic students have a place to connect, share their faith and discuss issues related to the Catholicism. And while the group is designed for Catholics, the group welcomes individuals from all religions, including the non-religious and irreligious, to come and learn about the Catholic faith. Everyone is welcome.

The group meets at 12:30 p.m. the second Wednesday of the month in Room 2325. Herron said it is a great way for people to spend time with others in the Catholic faith, especially if they are new to the area.

“There was a problem with students who were not from Kansas City not knowing where they could attend Mass,” he said. “I think that is the biggest reason why we wanted to have a group like this on campus. This is a benefit to so many because they can spend time with others on a spiritual level.”

For information on the Catholic Students of Kansas City Kansas Community College, contact the faculty adviser, Victor Ammons, at 913-288-7233 or by email at [email protected].

Kelly Rogge is the public information supervisor for Kansas City Kansas Community College.

Prayers of thanksgiving offered during National Catholic Sisters Week

As the Catholic Church observes the Year of Consecrated Life proclaimed internationally by Pope Francis, March 8-14 is designated in the United States as the second annual National Catholic Sisters Week.

Both observances serve to highlight and recognize contributions of persons who have dedicated their lives to vows and consecrated service. Each observance also encourages young adults to be open to vocational calls to religious life.

During National Catholic Sisters Week this year, leadership of the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth (SCLs) has invited members of the religious community to pray for persons with whom they have ministered and with whom they continue to minister and for individuals served by the community over the past 157 years since its founding.

“While we appreciate the recognition of National Catholic Sisters Week, we want to use this opportunity to express our deep gratitude to those who have shared in our ministries and those with whom and for whom we have served,” said Sister Maureen Hall, SCL community director. “Our prayers of thanksgiving will extend across the United States and around the world during this special week.”

Varied ministries, common commitment
Across the world, SCLs serve in education, health care, social services, pastoral and prayer ministries. They are in missionary roles in Peru and South Sudan, on Native American reservations in Montana and with rebuilding efforts in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina. They are strong advocates for social justice and care of creation and against human trafficking.

SCL members include leaders. Among them, Sister Susan Wood is president of the Catholic Theological Society of America. Sister Diane Steele is president of the University of Saint Mary, Leavenworth, Kan. Sister Elizabeth Youngs has recently been named superintendent of schools for the Diocese of Jefferson City, Mo. They serve on boards of directors and in other administrative roles.

Over the past two years in Leavenworth, the SCLs opened Welcome Central, a clearinghouse to help people navigate complex systems to apply for benefits and jobs or receive other assistance. They also collaborated with area Leavenworth churches and Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas to provide overnight shelter for persons who are homeless.

Sister Paula Tweet recently received the 2015 Jo Ann Harrington-Nobili Award for Academic Excellence in Butte, Mont. In Denver, Clínica Tepeyac, that provides health care for the underserved, presented the religious community with its 2014 Outstanding Community Partner Award. Of 130,000 employees in Ascension Health, Sister Marie Madeleine Shonka merited the large Catholic health system’s Individual Mission and Values Award for her work at Seton Center, Kansas City, Mo.

“We have outstanding women in our community who have served in many different ministries,” Sister Maureen added. “Each SCL has heard and responded to the call to serve as an individual and as a member of our community. We have been blessed with these talented and generous women of faith.”

The Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth were founded in 1858 by Mother Xavier Ross. The religious community traces its roots to St. Vincent de Paul and St. Louise de Marillac in 17th century France.
– From Therese Horvat