by Moira Cullings
moira.cullings@theleaven.org
KANSAS CITY, Kan. — Father Michael Hawken never expected the request Archbishop Shawn McKnight made of him when the archbishop asked to meet with him this summer.
“Our conversation was just wonderful and going right along,” said Father Hawken. “And out of the blue, he said, ‘I want you to be my vicar general and moderator of the curia.’
“I said, ‘Well, this has taken me totally off guard. I never saw this coming.’”
Father Hawken has been a parish priest for 31 years and pastor of Church of the Nativity in Leawood for the past seven.
He took a leap of faith and said “yes” to the archbishop’s call.
“When you’re asked to go into the unknown to something that you’ve not done before, it really does challenge you,” he said, “and it invites you to go to the source of strength.
“It’s making me turn to the Lord and trust in him and rely on him all the more.”
Father Hawken said he’s admired the individuals who have been working on the administrative side of the archdiocese and is excited to join them in helping the archbishop accomplish his goals.
The hardest part will be leaving his Nativity parishioners.
“They’re always going to have a special place in my heart,” he said.
Along with his new roles, Father Hawken was one of six individuals appointed by Archbishop McKnight to his new cabinet.
The archbishop’s cabinet
Archbishop McKnight’s transition cabinet was constituted on May 28 to advise him as he entered his new assignment as head of the archdiocese. The new cabinet will be effective Oct. 1.
Its members are: Father Hawken, vicar general and moderator of the curia; Father Mark Mertes, vicar general and vicar for priests; Father Anthony Saiki, J.C.L., chancellor and promoter of justice; Chris Arth, general counsel; Carla Mills, chief financial officer; and Marissa Easter, director of communication.
The cabinet will meet weekly.
“The cabinet will act as a sounding board for directors on major initiatives,” said Archbishop McKnight, who said it was an essential part of his ministry in Jefferson City.
“I don’t know of a better way than this to fulfill my responsibilities as archbishop,” he added.
Meet the clergy
Father Mertes, who is also pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Kansas City, Kansas, brings a wealth of experience, including serving as moderator of the curia and most recently as moderator of pastoral life for the archdiocese.
He’s excited to take on the challenge of vicar general and vicar for priests.
“That is essentially the bishop’s hands and feet and voice in relationship with the various members of the clergy in the archdiocese,” said Father Mertes.
His role will be “mainly to support the development and the formation and the successful ministry of the priests in the various assignments,” he said, “and also then to be available when there are challenges or difficulties to that.”
“I love our archdiocese, and I love the Lord and want to serve here,” said Father Mertes, “and this is the newest way the Lord has invited me to do that.”
Father Saiki studied canon law from 2017-20 and has served on the archdiocesan tribunal since 2020. He has been serving as vice chancellor and director of canonical services, as well as rector of the Cathedral of St. Peter in Kansas City, Kansas.
Archbishop McKnight first asked him to be promoter of justice, and later to additionally serve as chancellor.
“Having worked with him several months now as vice chancellor and in the transition cabinet, we have a good rapport,” said Father Saiki. “I feel like I’m learning his vision and his expectations.”
Father Saiki will split his time between the cathedral and the chancery.
As chancellor, he’ll be responsible for “ensuring that all of our documentation, all of our archives, all of our communications are in line with the code of canon law,” he said.
He will also certify and notarize the archbishop’s decrees, making them canonical documents.
In his role as promoter of justice — which is a new position in the archdiocese but well established in the code of canon law — he will ensure that when an allegation is presented within the church, all individuals are heard and their rights are respected.
Meet the laypeople
Mills has enjoyed working with Archbishop McKnight since he arrived and looks forward to sitting on his cabinet.
“He’s shown that he wants to listen and learn and also teach us,” she said. “He’s really big into that synodal process of transparent communication and seeking feedback before making informed decisions.”
Arth is also grateful for the opportunity.
“I was excited about being able to be in that group that’s pretty close to the archbishop and able to get to know him better and work side by side,” he said.
Arth believes Archbishop McKnight chose cabinet members who have a broad engagement with the chancery, and he admires the archbishop’s ability to delegate based on the expertise of those around him.
“He is always looking forward to making things better for our parishioners and people of the archdiocese,” said Arth.
Easter is also eager to lend her expertise to the cabinet.
“First and foremost, my vocation is as a wife and mother,” she said, “but I’m also a devout Catholic and person in the pew. Archbishop McKnight’s leadership inspires me. I look forward to helping him meet people where they are and share the church’s teachings.”
She appreciates the opportunity to help the archbishop share his message with the wider archdiocese.
“It’s very important to him that everyone in the archdiocese understands what’s happening, why it matters and how it affects them,” said Easter.
“He speaks about listening, learning and walking together,” she continued. “And I think he puts that into practice.”
