Though a cradle Catholic, parishioner Patty Miller

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1 january 2019 Inside 2 Hospitality: The Cornerstone of Stewardship 3 New Year s Resolutions 4 Catholic Schools Week: Offering a Time for Students to Count Their Blessings 6 The Highlights of Our 2018 Stewardship Renewal 7 Making God s House Feel Like Home The Arts and Environment Ministry 7023 W. 71st Street Overland Park, KS Hearing God s Word and Encountering Christ through Bible Study Though a cradle Catholic, parishioner Patty Miller went through a period of doubt and even despair in her life. During this time, Patty was led to join a Bible study at a church of a different denomination, completely transforming her life as she fell in love with God s Word. It truly changed my life from one of despair to hope, Patty says. I went to this study not really knowing what to expect and the facilitator encouraged me to read the Bible from front to back. So I did, and I ve been doing it ever since. Reading and studying the Bible keeps my faith strong. It s just really important to me. So, when Patty was later invited to help facilitate Queen of the Holy Rosary s Bible Study program, she was eager to accept, hoping to help others fall in love with Christ and His Church through Sacred Scripture, much like she had. Taking place Wednesday mornings at 9:30 a.m. in the old convent, this weekly gathering enables parishioners from all walks and stages of life to Patty Miller and her husband Will, discover God s Word together through the Wednesday Bible Study. reflect upon God s Word. Most importantly, it also helps members take time away from their busy lives to encounter our Lord and come to know Him better. It s like my relationship with my husband, Patty says. If I want to have a good marriage, I will spend time with him, caring for and loving him. We should do that even more so with God the Father, Holy Spirit, and Son. And the Bible is a beautiful way to do that because it s His words to us. So what better way is there for us to get to know Him and enter into that relationship with Him? Bible Study topics vary depending on what series the group is currently studying. The group recently concluded a study on the Book of Revelation, for continued on page 5

2 Queen of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church Hospitality: The Cornerstone of Stewardship The dictionary defines hospitality as the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way. A Christian worldview can refer to hospitality as Christian kindness. We see the effects of hospitality or the lack thereof time and time again throughout the Bible. Christ speaks of hospitality in Matthew s Gospel when He says, When I was a stranger, you welcomed me (Matthew 25:35). The Old Testament told of the Israelites, as they wandered the desert for 40 years in search of hospitable environs. Even the Holy Family spent ample time searching for shelter before the birth of Our Lord. It is safe to say that hospitality is, and most likely has always been, of great importance to people everywhere. Modern hotels and hostels often use the image of a pineapple to advertise their special brand of hospitality. There is no doubt that in ancient times, the distant lights of an inn or tavern struck a chord of hope within weary travelers hearts. Indeed, hospitality s meaning has not diminished at all over the years, decades and millennia. Christians view the presence of hospitality as meaning the difference between calling others guests and strangers. Guests are welcomed with open arms and warm smiles, but strangers aren t. Guests feel the genuine love present in a hearty welcome, but strangers don t. Guests often return for second or third visits, while strangers don t. As a parish, do we find ourselves surrounded by guests, or burdened by strangers? Hospitality is, in many respects, a mindset. The same person may be treated as guest at the church just down the road, but as a stranger here. Matthew s Gospel tells of Christ as He reveals a profound truth about hospitality: When I was a stranger, you welcomed me. That is, I used to be a stranger, but you fixed that when you welcomed me. It s a classic example of before-and-after. All it took was a change of heart. Stewardship holds hospitality as an immensely important concept. Remember the three Ts of stewardship Time, Talent, and Treasure? Well, there are also four Ps, the Four Pillars of Stewardship Hospitality, Prayer, Formation, and Service. Hospitality is mentioned first. Why? If not for hospitality, none of the other pillars will ever take hold. Hospitality is the cornerstone of stewardship, because it opens the door to a person s heart and allows them to receive joy, grace, and love. Hospitality must become second nature, if stewardship is to truly take hold within a parish. So, when a stranger visits our parish, welcome them as a guest. Perhaps one day, they ll pay us a second visit. Matthew s Gospel tells of Christ as He reveals a profound truth about hospitality: When I was a stranger, you welcomed me. That is, I used to be a stranger, but you fixed that when you welcomed me. It s a classic example of before-and-after. All it took was a change of heart. 2

3 A Letter From Our Pastor New Year s Resolutions Dear Parishioners, As we arrive at the New Year, it is customary that we make resolutions, which hopefully will be carried out during the course of the year. So many times these resolutions pertain to our physical lives we resolve to exercise more, build a healthier diet, become more organized, etc. These resolutions may also involve the mental aspect of our lives reading more, attending more cultural events, and so forth. Too often we forget about the spiritual part of our lives. Our souls need to be tended to, and we need to make sure that we are deepening our relationship with God throughout the entire year. I would like to give you a list of possible spiritual resolutions. While it might seem difficult for one person to undertake all of these, hopefully anyone can try several of these resolutions at one time or a number of them throughout the year. Attend Mass once a week over and above weekend liturgies. Spend a hour (or any amount of time) in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament once a week. Pray the Liturgy of the Hours (the Divine Office) at least once a day. Read and meditate on a chapter of Scripture a day. Take up a devotion of the Church (e.g. Rosary, Stations, novena, other prayers, etc.) and pray it daily. Read a spiritual book once a month. Make a morning offering as you begin your day, then an examination of conscience as you end your day. Offer a prayer of blessing/thanksgiving before/after a meal. Take time to pray daily with your spouse/family. As an individual or a family, take time once a week to do some form of charitable work visiting those who are homebound or in a nursing home, do some work for an elderly friend or neighbor, bring food to someone in need, etc. This is not an exhaustive list, but hopefully it gives you an idea that the small things done with great love can make a world of difference both in your life and the lives of others. Do not try to overdo any of these, but increase your resolutions gradually, laying a reasonable foundation upon which to build. Enjoy doing these resolutions, and see what a blessing they are for you and others. Let us pray that 2019 will be a year of grace and favor from God. I wish you and yours a very happy New Year! Sincerely yours in Christ, Fr. William Bruning Pastor 3

4 Queen of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church Catholic Schools Week Offering a Tim Have you ever looked at your to-do list as a measure of your blessings? Instead of thinking here s what I have to do, could we instead think, here s what I get to do? That s the perspective John Paul II School will take during Catholic Schools Week Catholic Schools Week is a celebration of catholic education, of all the things we get to do, says Principal Jenny Yankovich. That s what we say here. We get to pray. We get to do service projects. We get to go to Mass. That s what the week means to us, and we re proud of our school. The week of Jan. 27 through Feb. 2 has been set aside by the National Catholic Educational Association as Catholic Schools Week. While the week can mean something different for schools across the country, one thing that will unite them all is taking time out to focus on the value a Catholic education provides for young people everywhere. At John Paul II, each day of the week will celebrate a different aspect of the school community. We have parish day, a teacher s day, a day for our students, a day for our community, and a day for family, Mrs. Yankovich says. With the parish day on Sunday where we have an open house here at school and take tours, we get a lot of alumni who like to come back and see the building. We try to plan specific things for each day to make that day s group feel special. Mrs. Yankovich says that whatever the day s theme, the staff has planned to put a faith-based spin on each activity. Students meet with an Overland Park Police officer during last year s Defending with Doughnuts event which was part of the 2018 Catholic Schools Week festivities. New this year is the trend of a maker s space, so we are having a Maker Space Day where they can create things, she says. We re hoping to have different organizations come in and help us make a game or another item. We re going to put a faith spin on it like make a gift for someone else, or make a rosary, to incorporate the faith aspect into the maker space stations. While the week gives students a break from their normal routine, Mrs. Yankovich says she also hopes it helps them see how special it is to attend a Catholic school. I think it makes the students appreciate what they re getting here, like having the opportunity to pray at any given time, she says. When we have a parent that s sick Even though we re a small school, there are so many great things going on. We have a fantastic staff and the faith formation that is done here really prepares our kids for the world outside of our school s walls. It s a really strong foundation that we re building here. Mrs. Jenny Yankovich, Principal, John Paul II Catholic School 4

5 e for Students to Count Their Blessings or something happens that we know there s someone who needs our prayers, we can do that. That s something you can t do in a public school. As the week kicks off, enrollment for the school year will also open at John Paul II. In addition to alumni, prospective families are welcome to come and take a look around. Even though we re a small school, there are so many great things going on, Mrs. Yankovich says. We have a fantastic staff and the faith formation that is done here really prepares our kids for the world outside of our school s walls. It s a really strong foundation that we re building here. Celebrating their families during last year s Catholic Schools Week, students performed together during a special Grandparents Day Mass. If you would like more information on the school, please call or visit johnpaul2opks.com. Hearing God s Word and Encountering Christ through Bible Study continued from front cover example, and in early January it will begin a new series titled Walking Toward Eternity. Rather than focusing on a specific section of the Bible, this new series is designed to help participants better hear God s Word through Lectio Divina, small-group discussions, DVD presentations, and opportunities for prayer and faith sharing. It incorporates verses from all over the Bible, which is, I think, a great way to get parishioners more familiar with the Bible as a whole, Patty says. I think it will also bring out much more discussion because it s a bit more personal than other studies we ve done in the past. And as Patty notes, this group is open to any parishioner and their guest, Catholic or not. I think this fits perfectly into the stewardship category of faith formation, she says. As Catholics, I believe that we should always be working to learn about and form ourselves more in the faith. All parishioners are invited to join the Wednesday Bible Study for Walking Toward Eternity. The official starting date will be published in the parish bulletin and the cost is $17, covering workbook expenses. For more information or to sign up, please contact Patty Miller at

6 Queen of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church The Highlights of Our 2018 Stewardship Renewal Queen of the Holy Rosary parish recently held our 2018 Stewardship Renewal. During this renewal, parishioners had an opportunity to make commitments to stewardship commitments of Time, Talent and Treasure sharing their gifts with God and our parish community, and growing as disciples of Christ. This month, we are happy to share with you some of the highlights of our 2018 Stewardship Renewal at Queen of the Holy Rosary. There were 376 commitment cards received, at a return rate of 41 percent of active parish households. There were 1,510 commitments to prayer Stewardship of Time with 63 percent of participating households making prayer commitments. Commitments to the Stewardship of Time included: Attend Mass every Sunday and on Holy Days, 213 commitments; Pray for the sick, the lonely and the deceased, 166 commitments; Spend at least 15 minutes a day in personal prayer, 149 commitments. There were 1,280 commitments to ministry Stewardship of Talent with 76 percent of participating households making ministry commitments. Of these, 434 were new ministry commitments, while 846 were ministry recommitments. Some of the top commitments to the Stewardship of Talent included: Adoration, 120 commitments; Queen s Ladies, 89 commitments; Eucharistic Ministers, 85 commitments. There were 314 commitments to the offertory Stewardship of Treasure with 84 percent of participating households making commitments of treasure. The average offertory pledge was $2,303. We thank all of our Queen of the Holy Rosary parishioners who took part in our 2018 Stewardship Renewal by filling out a commitment card, and making commitments to stewardship through Time, Talent and Treasure. Your involvement means that Queen of the Holy Rosary is truly growing as a stewardship community of disciples! If you did not have the chance to fill out a commitment card as part of the 2018 Stewardship Renewal, we invite you to consider the ways you might become involved in parish life at Queen of the Holy Rosary. After all, it s never too late to begin living out the stewardship way of life! Queen of the holy RosaRy CatholiC ChuRCh 2018 Commitment Card My Offering of Time, Talent & Treasure First & Last Name Phone 6 Spouse: First & Last Name

7 Making God s House Feel Like Home The Arts and Environment Ministry I think it just comes naturally. You feel that closeness being there and working. You always have Christ on the cross looking down as you re doing this work and it just fills you up with such joy to do it it s just a natural reaction. Sue Ruffin The hustle and bustle of preparing our home for guests is something to which many of us can relate, especially after the holidays. From cleaning, to decorating, many take pride in creating a beautiful space to welcome family and friends. Here at Queen of the Holy Rosary, the Arts and Environment Ministry hopes to create the same inviting environment for the family of God, who gather each week in His home. I just feel that if it s homey and pleasant and beautiful, people will want to spend more time there and come there to pray, says parishioner Sue Ruffin, who has been involved with the Arts and Environment Ministry for over a decade, and currently serves as coordinator of the group. The primary role of the Arts and Environment Ministry is to decorate for the liturgical seasons, as well as for the significant Holy Days such as Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, and more. Sue also serves to maintain the environment, whether by watering flowers or arranging the décor each week. I just love keeping the Lord s house beautiful, Sue says. I try not to overdo the altar because I feel if it s simple and pleasant, it feels more Sue Ruffin enjoys serving the parish as part of the Arts and Environment Ministry. peaceful. If you clutter it up, it can be overwhelming and can be a distraction from the reason you re really there. While she s working, Sue finds opportunities to pray. I ll say a bunch of Hail Marys while I m working, Sue says. I ll count sometimes, when I m watering the flowers! I ve got it down to where if I say one Hail Mary, it s enough water for the flowers. Growing closer to God is just a natural part of spending time in His house, working to make it beautiful and give Him glory. I think it just comes naturally, Sue says. You feel that closeness being there and working. You always have Christ on the cross looking down as you re doing this work and it just fills you up with such joy to do it it s just a natural reaction. I love Advent, preparing for Christmas and being part of getting ready for Christ coming again, it s very exciting, she adds. And in Holy Week, you become so engrossed and so involved you feel so close to Jesus Christ, you really do. It s amazing the feeling you get. continued on back cover 7

8 Queen of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church 7023 W. 71st Street Overland Park, Kansas (913) The Arts and Environment Ministry continued from page 7 Sue encourages other parishioners to consider serving in this ministry. I would work with anybody for the whole liturgical year before they would be on their own, so they d know what s expected for all the different times of the year, Sue says. I d be there to work with them and help them. Hopefully there are other people out there who would love to come in and help me, or take over the job someday, she adds. I just love it. It gives me such joy and peace to be able to do it, and I hope and pray that other people will find the same enjoyment I do, in doing this. If you would like more information, or to become involved in the Arts and Environment Ministry, please contact Sue Ruffin at or sueruffin@gmail.com WEEKEND MASS Saturday: 4:00 p.m. Sunday: 7:00 a.m., 9:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m. DAILY MASS Monday - Friday: 8:15 a.m. First Saturday: 8:15 a.m.