I am in my thirteenth year of priestly service at Saint Therese Little Flower Parish (though it has spanned two centuries), in my third consecutive year at Saint James, and only my third week at Saint Francis Xavier. Most of the parishioners of these three urban communities live outside of the territorial boundaries. These are, […]
Among all the major world religions, Hinduism claims to have no beginning. Though it can be traced to around 2,000 BCE it may have always been around because it’s not so much a religion as it is a lifestyle. It has many offshoots. The major one is Buddhism, founded by Siddhartha Gautama in the fifth […]
When nineteenth century French scholar Pierre-Simon Laplace was asked by Napolean how God fit into academic equations, he famously responded, “I have no need of that hypothesis.” Though he was quick to admit that what humans know about our existence is extremely limited and what we don’t know about it is immense, many have used […]
Structures exist in most societies because people usually benefit from parameters that contain us and systems to guide us. That is the general rule; but exceptions accompany most rules. Whether our nation’s political structure or our church’s ecclesial institution or our society’s justice system, there are corruptible flaws that harm citizens and communities; and there […]
Billie Joe Armstrong, lead singer of the American rock band, Green Day, wrote a famous song called Wake Me Up When September Ends. It is a lament about his father who died when the boy was only ten. Released in 2005, it was adopted by the citizens of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast after […]
I want to thank all of you for your outpouring of food, clothing, gifts, and gift cards to inner-city residents. Over the past week, you have filled my garage with grocery bags for Saint Therese Little Flower’s food pantry and Saint James’ thrift store to help fellow citizens get through the summer and gain a […]
Many Catholics in Kansas City are surprised to learn that, though there are many Catholic churches west of Troost and several to the north around I-70, Saint Therese Little Flower (STLF) is the only one east of Troost Avenue to the Truman Sports Complex in Independence and from 17th Street (north) to I-435 (south). It […]
In his best-selling book, The Anxious Generation, Jonathan Haidt contrasts Baby Boomers and Gen X children to younger generations. Those born more than fifty years ago experienced a play-based childhood filled with human interaction and physical activity in which parents permitted kids to play out of their sight as long as they returned home when […]
Many people are familiar with birth doulas, those lovely souls who assist pregnant women to better understand what to expect when they are expecting, who accompany them through the birth of their child and sometimes beyond, who discuss any issue and respond to any question, and who coach future and new dads along the expedition, […]
A mother of four young children recently reminded me that a primary task of parents is to teach children to get along without them, to succeed on their own, to develop skills so that they can take care of themselves, interact well with others, develop talents, solve problems, and achieve goals. I wonder if the […]
UPON THIS ROCK 