Category: Faith

Slovenefest slated Saturday at Holy Family; dedicated to memory of Don Lipovac

The annual Slovenefest celebration Saturday at Holy Family Church is dedicated to the memory of local musician Don Lipovac.
The annual Slovenefest celebration Saturday at Holy Family Church is dedicated to the memory of local musician Don Lipovac.

by Kathy Hanis

Holy Family Catholic Church is celebrating Slovenefest 2014 on Saturday, Sept. 27.

The 6th Annual Slovenefest celebration will be held at Monsignor Mejak Hall, Gym, and Holy Family School Grounds located at 513 Ohio, Kansas City, Kan. The festival will run from 5 to 10 p.m. The Rev. Peter M. Jaramillo is the full-time pastor of Holy Family Church.

The 6th Annual Slovenefest is dedicated to Don Lipovac in memory of his outstanding contribution to classical and folkloric Slovenian accordion music to the local community and his many years of entertainment, both locally and worldwide.

When Lipovac was 7, he played his button box accordion at family events. When he was 16, he won a competition at Municipal Auditorium to appear on “Ted Mack’s Amateur Hour,” a kind of “American Idol” of the early 1950s.

He performed on the Lawrence Welk Show and countless weddings and church and ethnic festivals. Brian McCarty, who played with Don, will provide the musical entertainment and the Hrvatski Običaj Tamburaši group will also perform.

Other Slovenians that have made their mark here include Monsignor Heliodore N. Mejak, who was the longest living priest to serve at Holy Family Church from June 1944 until Christmas Eve, Dec. 24, 2007, for a total of 64 years.

Other notable persons of Slovene heritage throughout the world include: Bishop Anton Martin Slomsek, who was also a scholar, was responsible for saving the Slovenian Heritage, was beatified by Pope John Paul II on Sept. 19, 1999. Bishop Frederic Baraga was honored by beatification by Pope Benedict XV. France Prešen was a 19th-century Romantic Slovene poet, best known as the poet who inspired virtually all later Slovene literature and has been generally acknowledged as the greatest Slovene classical author. The art nouveau style of Slovene architect, Jože Plečnik, designed the iconic “3 Bridges” and many notable buildings and contributed to many civic improvements in the city market place, and along the banks of the Ljubljanica River and through Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. Locally, Dr. Paul L. O’Boynick II is a neurosurgeon with Neurosurgery Associates of Kansas. Dr. Michael Bartkoski spent his career in the animal health sciences field, primarily in vaccine manufacturing. Robert Serra is a Kansas District judge. Joseph Lastelic is a retired Washington correspondent for The Kansas City Star. He also played the organ here at the church many years ago. Alfred Matthew Yankovic, better known by his stage name, “Weird Al,” Yankovic’s father, Nick Louis Yankovic, was of Slovenian descent, was born in Kansas City, Kan., and was baptized at Holy Family Church, as well as many other outstanding Slovenian parishioners.

The Slovenian celebration will begin at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 27, with Mass at Holy Family Catholic Church, 274 Orchard St., Kansas City, Kan.

Festivities will follow the Mass and include children and adult games, a cultural booth, souvenirs, and a silent auction, and an authentic Slovenian dinner, serving a choice of Sarma (stuffed cabbage roll), Poljene Paprika (stuffed pepper), Krvavica (a specialty sausage), Slovenian potato salad and green beans.

For information, contact Holy Family Church office at 913-371-1561 or www.holyfamilychurchkck.com.

Holy Family Church is celebrating Slovenefest on Saturday in Kansas City, Kan.
Holy Family Church is celebrating Slovenefest on Saturday in Kansas City, Kan.

MLM’s ‘Learning to Earning’ program to locate in Kansan building in downtown KCK

by Dale Garrison

A new emphasis on “financial literacy” and the opening of a Wyandotte County location at the old Kansan building at 8th and Ann are among several changes in Metro Lutheran Ministry’s Learning to Earning program.

“Since its inception, MLM has been a leader in rent and utility assistance in Kansas City,” said Jim Glynn, executive director. “We’ve always been one of the largest players in that arena. But, in writing a check to the landlord or to the utility company, we’re very aware it’s a short-term stopgap. However, we have not had the case management expertise and ability to go beyond that. Currently, we are repositioning our resources to do more of that.”

The focus on financial education is designed to address some of the most widespread issues facing MLM clients, said Learning to Earning manager Jacob Bosch.

“A lot of it relates to clients’ need to access credit,” he said. “The poorest of the poor struggle not only to make money, but to access the money they make. It’s difficult, even impossible, for them to get credit or bank accounts. And, every step they make takes a bite out of their money. Handling your own money if you’re poor is a job in itself.”

Bosch said some studies estimate that fees and other hurdles rarely seen by those not in poverty can amount to $40,000 over a lifetime, a huge amount given the low income. Just as troubling is the time they may lose that could be used working or seeking employment.

“Payday loan companies are a fairly visible issue, but there’s a lot more than that,” Bosch said. “Even just getting a check cashed can take half a day. Those are massive burdens that many of us don’t see. It’s literally more expensive to be poor.”

The solution starts by explaining how some practices are disastrous and then showing a better way. The Wyandotte County addition is also significant, adding to the current site at 3031 Holmes, Kansas City, Mo. The former Kansas City Kansan newspaper building is being remodeled to serve as a “Learning to Earning-Wyandotte” office.

The changes are part of a notable shift in focus for MLM that also includes longer-term priorities for emergency assistance and the Family Empowerment Initiative.

“We’re trying to focus on things that will target causes as much as possible,” Glynn said. “We’re also recruiting partners who work in these areas and can bring their expertise. It’s very exciting.”

Construction company gives care center a big boost

Metro Lutheran Ministry Board member Duane Dean, left, looked over a new shower at St. Luke's Lutheran Church with Pastor Scott Eberlein. (Photo from Dale Garrison)
Metro Lutheran Ministry Board member Duane Dean, left, looked over a new shower at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church with Pastor Scott Eberlein. (Photo from Dale Garrison)

by Dale Garrison

A recent example of Metro Lutheran Ministry’s effective volunteer program involves construction at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, 722 Reynolds, in Kansas City, Kan.

The site of MLM’s Wyandotte County Community Care Center, the project included installation of three showers on two floors, along with installation of a washer and dryer. One of the showers is handicapped accessible. People who visit the Saturday breakfast program or the weekday pantry can now perform basic hygiene that, for the homeless, is often impossible. Not only does it add significantly to health and comfort, it makes other things more possible, especially much needed job interviews.

The story behind the effort involves MLM board member Duane Dean, who owns Miller Stauch Construction Company, which is only a few blocks from the church. He heard through MLM that the church pastors had mentioned the need and acted.

“Basically, we wanted to make it a good situation for people who don’t have access to showers and laundry facilities,” Dean explained. “Now when people come in to have breakfast or pick up food supplies, they have access to this. Some are living on the street and really need a place to go and clean up.”

Dean said the effort was not difficult for his commercial construction company, but with his experience volunteering at MLM Saturday breakfasts and now serving as a volunteer board member, he had no doubt about the need.

“We were grateful to be part of it,” he said. “I thought, ‘Here’s something that we can do where we can help people in the community.’ It’s a real need, so to have the opportunity to help out is something that doesn’t come along often.”

He’s seen other MLM successes since first becoming aware of the organization through St. Luke’s co-pastors Scott Eberlein and Luke Kammrath.

“I just got hooked there,” he laughed. “I thought, ‘These guys are serious. They have a great program and mean business.’ That makes it easy to make a decision to lend a hand. Otherwise, how do you break the cycle? How do you break the chain?”