by Jan Dixon
Special to The Leaven
SHAWNEE — Some heroes were present in the front pews of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish here on a recent weekday evening, all of them considered thinkers and theologians and doers: Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas; Benedictine College president Stephen Minnis; Communio Ministry founder J.P. De Gance; and author George Weigel. They were gathered for an event sponsored by the Atchison’s Benedictine College Center for Family Life.
Multiple generations were represented at the April 1 event to honor the legacy of the archbishop, to celebrate the work being done to strengthen marriage and family life, and to gain insight into the life and work of Pope John Paul II.
Father Jaime Zarse, Sacred Heart pastor, started the event off with a prayer giving thanks for the gift of faith and family and posed the question: Where would we be without our moms and dads or without our faith?
Minnis delivered the opening remarks, in which he explained the success and growth of Benedictine in recent years.
“We consecrated our college to the Blessed Virgin Mary,” he said simply. “And when you put things in her hands, great things can happen.”
Now a college with over 2,300 students, Benedictine maintains the mission to educate within a community of faith and scholarship. Its Center for Family Life forms students who will help to strengthen families and sponsors the St. John Paul II Fellows program, where students serve as ambassadors for the family in society following the teachings of the saint.
Minnis presented Benedictine’s Transforming Culture in America Award to Archbishop Naumann for his continued efforts to protect the lives of the unborn and to strengthen families.
Upon receiving the award, the archbishop expressed gratitude to the college for its work in developing future leaders. He told of his increasing gratitude for his own family, especially his father, who chose an extraordinary mother for him.
“Marriage and family are the foundation of culture and society, and of the church as well,” said Archbishop Naumann. “Whatever fruit is coming out of my ministry as a priest and bishop is really the fruit of my parents’ vocation of a Christian marriage.”
Christian marriage is precisely the focus of De Gance’s work, and in his presentation, he explained how Communio seeks to identify the most effective strategies to boost marriage and family and church engagement. These strategies are paying off, he said, in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, where 12 parishes in northeast Kansas are participating. Communio is established in over 27 dioceses around the country.
Finally, George Weigel — a theologian, writer and senior analyst for NBC News — shared insights into the life and work of Pope John Paul II.
“Throughout his journey from parish priest in Poland to pope in Rome, John Paul II worked to strengthen marriage and family life,” he said.
Weigel showcased many examples of the late pope’s acute awareness of the importance of family life through the many initiatives he launched to enhance the church’s ministry to families, including World Youth Day and the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family.
Weigel also explained how Catholic teaching emphasizes the family as the fundamental unit of society, a “domestic church” where faith and values are first taught and lived. The family is to be a place of love, growth and support. It is a place where people learn to be good. He said that freedom does not mean “I did it my way” — rather, freedom is doing the right thing for the right reason and developing it as a habit over time.
“Pope John Paul II remained committed to the focus on marriage and family through his 26-plus years as the leader of the church,” Weigel said. “And Archbishop Naumann has encouraged and developed these same thoughts throughout his ministry.”
Archbishop Naumann concluded the event by calling for a renewed attention to the sacrament of matrimony.
“We must help married couples to know how important you are,” he said, “and how your example transforms culture.”
