by Todd Habiger
todd.habiger@theleaven.org
For 37-plus years as editor of The Leaven, Father Mark has faithfully written his column each and every week. By my estimation, he’s written close to a million words. He has never cheated the readers: Every word has been carefully chosen, every sentence dissected. Readers have loved it. Whenever people talk with me about the paper, every one of them mentions how much they love Father Mark’s column. But he has never written for attention; instead, he wrote to teach, to inform, and, most importantly, to bring people closer to God.
His last column was printed on March 13. He knew it was going to be his last. He didn’t use it to say goodbye. Instead, he used it to tell a story of kindness. No fanfare. Just another Father Mark column.
For more than 30 years, Father Mark has split his time between Sacred Heart Parish in Tonganoxie and The Leaven. He will now be turning his full attention to his parish, and raising funds to build a new church. Tonganoxie is a growing area and parishioners really need a permanent church building (Mass has been celebrated in their parish center for years). After working with him for more than 30 years, I see what a great pastor he is, and I know he will pour his heart and soul into the building project.
Father Mark has loved his decades serving as editor of The Leaven. He was never one to take all the credit for its success. I remember many times when he would host his friends in the office and would jokingly tell them that his job was to just stay out of our way. And while it was said as a joke, it was also true. Father Mark always gave us the freedom to be creative and do our jobs without micromanaging the whole process. Something that I, for one, have really appreciated. That said, he was not afraid to tell us when something didn’t work. For me, he might challenge my design or photo choice and ask me to rethink certain aspects. His focus was always on what was best for the reader.
In addition to his column, Father Mark read every word of the newspaper. He is an incredible copy editor. The Leaven staff strives for perfection in our copy, in part because he demanded it. That man could be brutally tough. He wanted every i dotted and t crossed. He made sure every word makes sense and that our style stayed consistent. He made sure every OK was OK, not “okay,” “o.k.” or “okee dokee.”
A master of newspaper style, his brain is like a fresh copy of an AP Stylebook. When proofing pages, surrounding him on his hallmark cluttered desk was a Webster’s New World dictionary, a stylebook, and an outdated daily Far Side desk calendar.
Father Mark always tried to read our work with the everyday person in mind. If he had questions after reading an article, we needed to go back and answer them, because it meant that the reader would have that question, too. He always wanted our stories to be easy to read. If they weren’t, it was our job to clear things up.
Finally, Father Mark wanted to make sure that our articles could be trusted. As a priest and moral theologian, he knew the teachings of the church. But as a pastor, he also understood how many ordinary Catholics live out — often through incredible hardship — their faith. That has been his most important guidance to me as a member of his staff: keeping the lives and faith of the readers in mind as we do our work every week.
Father Mark has left an incredible legacy for The Leaven. Although he’s no longer the editor, he’s without a doubt one of our biggest fans and we don’t intend to let him down. We will continue to edit The Leaven with the care and precision he did. We will continue to seek out stories of the faithful and write them in the precise, ethical and moral way he demanded. And we will continue to create a quality publication that the people of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas demand and can be proud of.
The Leaven will be undergoing some changes that our readers will surely enjoy. Starting this summer, we will be exploring the addition of digital delivery options to ensure that news and features are presented to our readers in a more timely manner. We feel that this will greatly complement our print product. We will also be adding new clergy and religious voices to the paper, to share their point of view about our faith and its relevance and importance navigating daily life.
It’s an exciting time for us and we hope Father Mark will be proud.
You can find an archive of Father Mark’s columns here.
