by Therese Horvat
Special to The Leaven
BASEHOR — The yearlong observance of the 150th jubilee of Holy Angels Parish here will culminate in a grand celebration on Sept. 24.
Faith, food, fun and family entertainment are on the agenda for what pastor Father Richard McDonald describes as the opportunity to express gratitude for 150 years of blessings.
“We’ve planned a very full schedule to engage our parishioners and are extending the invitation to former pastors, area priests and religious, and people from the surrounding community to join the celebration,” he said. “We are using this very special occasion to thank God for our bountiful blessings as a parish community and, at the same time, gifting parishioners, friends and neighbors with festivities we think they will enjoy.”
The celebration will begin at 4 p.m. with a Mass of thanksgiving in the main church at 154th and Leavenworth Rd. Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann will preside, joined by Father McDonald and area priests. This will be the only Mass at Holy Angels for the weekend.
Immediately following Mass, Archbishop Naumann will preside at the groundbreaking for the new Our Lady of the Angels perpetual adoration chapel that will adjoin the church building. (Sign-ups for perpetual adoration will be available starting that day.) During its 150th jubilee year, Holy Angels began a capital campaign to construct a eucharistic adoration chapel modeled after the Portiuncula in the Basilica of Our Lady of the Angels in Assisi, Italy. This is where St. Francis founded his Franciscan Order of Friars.
“As part of our 150th jubilee observance, what better gift can we give to parishioners, surrounding communities and future generations than this sacred space dedicated to prayer and devotion to the Blessed Sacrament, Jesus Christ in the Eucharist?” said Father McDonald. This will be the only perpetual adoration chapel serving Wyandotte and Leavenworth counties, he said, and parishioners of these regions and other guests are welcome.
At 5:30 p.m., the grand celebration will continue with dinner catered by Famous Dave’s and served under tents near the parish hall. Tickets are $5 per person and must be purchased in advance by Sept. 16 from the parish office or after weekend Masses. Food trucks will also be available.
Also starting at 5:30 p.m., kids of all ages will have the opportunity to participate in free carnival games and outdoor activities, including an obstacle course, pony rides, a hayrack ride and bonfire.
The evening will close with a free, outdoor community concert by The Elders, a Kansas City-based Irish- American folk rock band. The group will perform a two-hour set from 7 to 9:30 p.m. with an intermission. The concert is open to the public. The seating and dancing area will be in the east parish parking lot. Guests are invited to bring lawn chairs or folding chairs.
For more information, call the parish office at (913) 724-1665.
