Second annual Savior gala to be held June 7

by John Sorce
john.sorce@theleaven.org

KANSAS CITY, Kan. — For 60 years, the Savior Pastoral and Retreat Center here has served the archdiocese in a variety of ways.

From youth sporting events and recreational facilities to the chapel where the Chrism Mass is celebrated, and with room for art exhibits and breakout sessions alike, the SPARC building has proven to be a versatile facility.

“Savior is a front door to many people that come in contact with our archdiocese,” said Mark Blaise, who is the director of campus ministry at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Overland Park and is a leader for Kairos retreats.

“I am so thankful for the staff at Savior that they take this responsibility seriously,” he added, “and they need our support to be a place for all people.”

The second annual SPARC the Night Gala, “Brilliance in Bloom,” is set to be held on June 7 at Savior, located at 12601 Parallel Pkwy.

The gala started last year as a way to fundraise to preserve Savior as the focal point of the archdiocese for many years to come.

“It was very clear to me early on how many people care about Savior and want to see it continue for many years,” said Greg Mies, director of facilities and operations at Savior. “So, we wanted to bring people together and come up with what we could do to keep the building as the heartbeat of the archdiocese.”

The evening’s honorary chairman will be Msgr. Michael Mullen, who was ordained in 1962 and served 22 years as principal, rector and teacher when Savior served as a high school seminary.

When the seminary closed in 1987, the archdiocesan seminary program was moved to Maur Hill-Mount Academy in Atchison, where Msgr. Mullen served as seminarian chaplain. He then became pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Kansas City, Kansas, from 1995 until 2018, when he was assigned to St. Joseph Parish in Shawnee and remained the co-director of seminarians.

“We’re honored that Msgr. Mullen agreed to be our honorary chairman,” Mies said. “He saw the building from its infancy and still today, 60 years later, is here on a regular basis for gatherings with a small group of priests. We’re grateful that Monsignor [Mullen] is willing to share some of his experiences at the event.”

Doors will open at 4:30 p.m. with Mass celebrated by Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann at 5 p.m. Hors d’oeuvres and drinks will follow at 6 p.m. and guests will move to the dining room by 6:30 p.m., with the program and dinner lasting until 8 p.m.

The fact that Savior continues to flourish today is a testament to how the initial engineers built the facility.

“It was a testament to the vision they had 60 years ago to put this facility in a somewhat central location to the archdiocese,” Mies said. “It was also built in a way to where it would sustain itself. Savior is an incredibly well-built facility that allows us a lot of flexibility and consistency in how we utilize the space.”

But the impact goes well beyond the building itself, as the people who work inside its walls play a vital role in continuing its legacy as well.

“Everyone that works at Savior from the top to the bottom feels a part of the mission of Savior,” Blaise said. “So, whether it’s a maintenance worker dropping off candy for our students or the management having fruitful conversations with kids during break time, we feel so supported in our mission by those that work at Savior.”

Tickets are $175. To purchase, go online to: archkck.org/savior.