by Olivia Martin-Davies
olivia.martin@theleaven.org
MISSION — Children giggled nervously as their blindfolds were tied and their parents stepped back.
The task seemed simple enough: Listen for your parents’ voice and follow it to a treasure chest.
But the room was suddenly alive with noise — shouts, laughter, stamping feet, hands banging on tables — designed to simulate the distractions of the world when trying to hear God’s call.
Children shuffled cautiously, stretching out their arms as they tried to pick out familiar voices amid the ruckus. Several admitted afterward they felt scared, lost and even “like they might fall.”
Meanwhile, parents voiced their own worries — feeling nervous and helpless as they attempted to guide their children through the chaos with their voice alone.
In the end, they all found the treasure chest, guided by the love, patience and presence of their parents.
All of the excitement was part of the second annual bilingual Family Vocations Day, held on Oct. 25 at St. Pius X Church in Mission. Over 150 people from parishes across Wyandotte and Johnson counties attended.
The morning included testimonies, lessons on prayer, holiness and service, and Mass with Archbishop Shawn McKnight. The blindfolds kicked off the afternoon.
“It’s hard to find the treasure if you don’t know where it is or what it is,” explained Veronica Olivares, director of religious education at Good Shepherd Church in Shawnee, to families who participated in the blindfold activity. “It takes a lot of work to hear above the noise that tries to distract us.”
Diversity of callings
The event continued with a panel demonstrating the richness of vocations in the church: religious Sisters and Brothers, the diaconate, married life and the priesthood.
Rosalia Gutierrez, parishioner of All Saints Church in Kansas City, Kansas, brought a relatable perspective on being married to a deacon — in her case, Deacon Mario Gutiérrez Juárez, of the archdiocesan Hispanic ministry office.
“It’s a blessing to have a deacon as a spouse,” said Gutierrez, “but it is hard sometimes to have to share him with others.
“After Mass, I’m by myself, waiting one or two hours. I have learned patience!”
Olivares spoke on behalf of those called to marriage and family life, too. She reminded families that holiness is a process, not perfection.
“God loves our imperfections. He doesn’t want perfect people,” she said. “[The church] is open. . . . We learn to forgive here.”
Sister Monica Bernadette Arguello, SCTJM, planned the event through the archdiocesan marriage and family life office and reflected after the retreat on the gift and beauty of each vocational path.
“I’m very blessed to be called a bride of Christ,” she said, “but also what a gift . . . to promote holy marriages and see how much they help me in my own vocation.
“We need in our families, first and foremost, to build that culture of vocation. That’s what Mother Adela Galindo, the founder of my community, taught: building that home, school and path within the home, within the family.”
Healthy family, healthy community
For Maria Guerrero and her husband Fernando Martinez, parishioners of the Cathedral of St. Peter in Kansas City, Kansas, going on retreat meant going to serve.
“We are helping at this retreat because we believe the family is very important,” said Guerrero. “If the family is well, then our communities are well.”
The theme “Where is your treasure?” struck home in a particular way for Martinez.
“We need to know where to search for this treasure . . . in the family, in the spiritual life,” said Martinez. “The most important treasure is opening our hearts to Christ.”
Herman Barrera and his wife Paula Latica, also parishioners of the cathedral, added that one of the treasures of the retreat was the Christ-like support they didn’t expect but received.
“What grabbed my attention was the support of the archbishop toward the Hispanic community and seeing how he puts forth the effort to speak Spanish,” said Barrera. “And he does it well! . . . We give thanks to God for giving us this man.”
“This service of our bishop, who made the effort to speak Spanish . . . if we do not take advantage of that, we are losing a lot,” added Guerrero.
Latica was particularly grateful for the blessing of the Servants of the Pierced Hearts of Jesus and Mary (SCTJM), who invited her to help with the retreat.
“We have decided to serve the Lord, and so when the Sisters invited us to come and serve others, we knew we were called for [this] service,” she said.
The day closed with prayer, encouragement and a hope echoed by many: that families would continue listening for God’s voice — and helping their children do the same — even when the world is loud.
“God always waits for us,” said Martinez.
We just have to keep listening for him.
