Exterior of St. Bernard Parish in Wamego. The church seats 600.

Archbishop Joseph Naumann of Kansas City, Kansas was on hand to dedicate the new church.

Church pastor, Father John Pilcher lights the candles in the church for the first time.

Using sacramental oils, the archbishop anoints the altar.

St. Bernard Church dedication a work of love for parishioners

Wamego’s St. Bernard Church dedicates “amazing” new church

By Paula Glover
The notion of a “once-in-a-lifetime event” could be the definition of the dedication of St. Bernard Catholic Church in Wamego on Sunday afternoon. After all, the church is intended to last longer than the lifetime of most of the people present when Archbishop Joseph Naumann, of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas presided over a dedication that is deeply rooted in the tradition of the Catholic Church.
With nearly 500 excited parishioners and community members present, Archbishop Naumann began by leading the parishioners (who had gathered outside in tents in the 95 degree heat) into their new church. There, the dedication Mass included a blessing of the water, a Litany of the Saints, with particular emphasis on Saints Pius X and John Vianney, whose relics were enclosed under the altar and altar of repose.
In his homily, Archbishop Naumann explained how buildings are symbols of what we value.
“We want to give God our best and give God our first fruits,” he said. He used the example of the beautiful churches built during the depression, or in small towns, that are “eloquent expressions of the praise of God in brick and stone.”
He contrasted that to the current emphasis on banks and centers of commerce as symbols of what we value. He noted that on a recent visit to St. Louis, the largest building was a casino. “God does not need us, but we erect good buildings to honor God,” he said. He encouraged all present to “honor God, open your hearts and be heroic witnesses to God as Christen men and women,” using the example of the saints.
An integral part of the dedication is placing of Chrism oil on the altar to dedicate it, and the archbishop poured the oil and spread it carefully over the entire altar. During the ceremony also, candles are lit to symbolize the light of Christ coming to the parish.
The archbishop praised Father John Pilcher, pastor of St. Bernard’s, for his leadership; and Father Pilcher in turn, praised the parishioners for their dedication to the project.
Richard Weixelman said the church was “phenomenal … the way the parish came together to the final project.” He said that 13 years ago, the committee started and one member moved away and two died, but all the others continued the drive for a new church.
One feature of the new church is an effort to utilize items from the old church, including the Crucifix, the stained glass windows (which were fully restored) and the Stations of the Cross.
Jim Meinhardt and his wife, Barbara, were involved during the process. Meinhardt said that the capitol campaign started in earnest two years ago, with a meeting that included about 60 people. One year ago in July, ground was broken for the building. Meinhardt noted a moment he would remember was when the beautiful ceiling was installed, and later on, as the final decorating was accomplished.
Barbara Meinardt noted that Father John was a leader in the restoration, with definite ideas on how the church should be structured. For example, the Tabernacle is in the center behind the altar and all the pews are forward facing. The church also features a large narthex, or gathering space, and a cry room. The church seats 500 and is designed to be able to be expanded.
“The church is amazing,” said parishioner Cindy Diederich. “It took my breath away to see it finished. It was so much more than I anticipated. I just stood there in awe. This really is a once-in-a-lifetime event,” she said, noting for example that nearby St. Joseph Church was dedicated in the early 1900s. “Father John is an amazing priest and our community is blessed to have him,” she added.
Father Plicher, for his part, said “The people did this work, I just happened to be their pastor.”

Appeared in The Mercury, Aug. 27.

Pottawamie County Fair photos

Above, Poultry judge Adam Banks carefully examines a bird to determine the color of the tail feathers.

Adam Banks examines a Rhode Island Red rooster during the judging.

Education is an important part of 4-H and poultry judge Adam Banks explains what he is looking for as he examines the bird, a family pet.

Intense concentration on the judge is part of what is required when showing livestock.

Intermediate showmaship swine participants should keep the swine always in the judge's view.

Once again this year I treated the county fair as an assignment, and took several shots at the fair. The kids work hard and learn about responsibility - and they also enjoy hanging out with their friends.

Members of the pro-life organization on the K-State campus set up the "Cemetery of Innocents" on a rainy April morning, as part of a week long effort to bring the pro-life message to the campus. Each cross represents 10 children killed by abortion each day in the United States.

Patrick Ptomey speaks with K-State student Lori Yaussi at a display in the student union.

K-State student Heidi Coon examines a display of babies at various stages of development in the womb.

K-State students stand up for life

By Paula Glover
MANHATTAN – Each spring, the KSU Students for the Right to Life hosts a series of events geared to engaging fellow students in discussion about life issues.
“The Cemetery of Innocents is my favorite,” said Janet Peak from Scammon, “because you can see visually how many abortions are performed each year.” The cemetery is an instillation of 360 crosses that represent 10 lives lost due to the average 3,600 abortions that occur every day in the U.S. “People will stop by. It is eye-opening to see the crosses and see what they represent.”
The group is spear-headed by Patrick Ptomey, a landscape architecture student from Dallas, Texas.
“I was raised a Catholic, but I also did research on the topic,” Ptomey said, explaining how he came to a strong pro-life stance. “I’d heard opinions on both sides, but I did the research to determine how I felt about the issue.”
Being a college student, even in Kansas, means that many people are liberal in their abortion views. However, he said the support for the pro-life stance is “better than you would think.”
One of the activities the group does during their week-long event is to post a board, asking people to weight in if they are Pro-Life or Pro-Choice. Ptomy said that most of the views expressed were pro-life, but that could very well be due to the self-choosing nature people who would appraoch a board. He said frequently, students have come over to the displays for some discussion, but it is generally civil.
“We might get some laughing and eye rolling,” Ptomy acknowledged. “But we want the events to be aimed at the student body as a whole, to try to reach everyone.”
Other events during the week included adoption awareness, the screening of the film “Bella,” and a display on fetal development, which included a poll on “how do you define when life begins.” In contrast to previous years, the results were totally at fertilization. Ptomy said usually there is a wide range of opinions from fertilization to birth.
Peak said that she was raised a Catholic and has maintained her faith as a member of St. Isadore’s, the parish for the university.
“Pro-life is the way my parents raised me,” she said. Her activities have included trips to the March for Life in Washington D.C., and the Topeka March For Life.
Lori Yaussi, a student from Wichita, visited the booth to vote on when life begins, adding her vote for fertilization.
“Education is important to understand there are other options aside from abortion,” she said. “People are pressured to make bad choices, and it is important to get the word out about what their options are.”
Katherine Wartell, a journalism student, chose to do a story on pro-life activism as part of an advanced news writing class. She is pro-choice, and she said she was surprised that pro-life activism took on so many forms, from marching to supporting adoption agencies, and providing education.
“There are stereotypes on both sides,” she said. “But doing this story has made me more open minded about different opinions.”
For more information about the Students for the Right to Life, go to www.KSUStudents4Life.weebly.com

Published in the Salina Catholic Register

Becca White, 10, holds one of the chickens she and her family raise on their farm south of Onaga.

Feeding time at the White farm includes the dog and a cat.

Chickens on the White family farm examine eggs in the basket.

Nathan Woodyard feeds greens to his chickens.

Nathan Woodyard collects an egg from the chicken house on his farm east of Westmorland.

Eggs from happy chickens

By Paula Glover
It’s part of a country lifestyle that is coming back – raising chickens.
“People are increasingly interested in where their food comes from,” said Scott Beyer, poultry expert with Kansas State University. “If people have the time and the space, people also like feeling more independent and responsible for their own food production.”
For Nathan Woodyard, who lives with his wife, Kim, west of Westmorland, raising his own chickens is part of a life that harkens back to his childhood – his grandfather raised chickens. The choice also includes raising as much organic food for the family as possible.
Karen White and her children, Elizabeth, 15, and Becca, 10, adore their chickens. Their farm south of Onaga, farmed by husband, Paul, includes cattle. When the kids found a 4-H bucket calf to be too labor intensive, the kids switched to chickens. Now, their 28 chickens lay 22 to 28 eggs a day.
“They are just a joy to watch,” Karen White said recently.
“When we feed them, it isn’t hard to pick them up,” Becca said, demonstrating. “See when they lay their wings back, it means they want to be picked up.”
The Woodyard and White families are part of a nationwide movement toward food grown close to home, sometimes with an emphasis on organic, and generally including a focus on humane growing and harvesting methods for live animals.
Larry Cowdin, manager at Orchelyns’ farm supply said the demand for information from newcomers to chicken raising is so great that they host “Chick Days” in the spring, featuring talks on raising chickens. He said there are still many with 4-H projects, or people who for years have raised poultry for meat, but new people want specific “how-to information.”
With the right zoning, even city folks can get in on the action, as it isn’t illegal to keep chickens within the city of Manhattan. There are restrictions, however. The chickens must be quiet, clean and contained and the zoning is such that in the RS suburban areas and R smaller family residential, it is acceptable to have a small flock, but the restrictions are set so that the chickens have to be penned and 100 feet from a property line. Most homeowner’s lots don’t allow for that much set-back, noted Chad Bunger, a planner with the city of Manhattan.
“Right now, it’s rare, but we could see more chickens,” he said.
Riley County currently restricts chickens in the A1 and A3 zones, with no livestock allowed, said Steve Higgins, zoning enforcement office. In zones A4 and A5, livestock is allowed, including poultry. However, the county is in the process of examining zoning regulations, and it is possible that some day, poultry could be allowed in the A1 and A3 zones. For example, a person could keep 8 to 10 hens. “As long as you’re taking care of them, it would be OK,” he said.
“It is a matter of a healthier way to eat,” Higgins said. “It helps to maintain a healthier America.”
Beyer agreed that most people are motivated by a desire for healthier foods.
“Health seems to be more important than saving money,” he said. “In reality, it is hard to meet the prices from big producers. Sometimes people are interested in a different breed of bird than the meat in the stores, or are concerned about animal welfare.”
In the last year-and-a-half, he’s seen a definite upswing in people keeping chickens.
“There’s no doubt people are concerned in addition to the people who just want to do something different,” Beyer said. If a person wants to raise livestock, he suggested beginning with poultry.
“Poultry are easy to raise,” he said. He suggested starting with pullets if a person was concerned about raising chickens from that are just hatched, or hatching them on their own.
“There’s a lot of information available on raising chickens,” Bayer said. Although there is some mis-information on the Internet, K-State maintains a web site: www.asi.k-state.edu/poultry and he said farm related magazines like Mother Earth News and Grit Magazine tend to offer accurate information and specialty issues on poultry.
Hank Will, editor of Grit Magazine, said that the trend or raising chickens is part of a resurgence in interest in vegetable gardening, and “ways to take additional charge of your food supply.”
Their special issues on poultry are popular, he noted.
“Plus, people are realizing that chickens are gorgeous, not all are stark white. There’s a real appeal to raising a farm animal,” he added. He thinks that the growing interest in chickens is part of people seeking to feel safer in many aspects of their life and to reduce expenses. Friends of his who own hatcheries reported to him that they had trouble meeting orders for the last couple of years.
In the Woodyard family, keeping chickens is all a part of a general effort to live more closely to the land, Nathan Woodyard said. Right now, the family has barred rock and turkins, and are keeping some roosters separate to fatten them up for the pot. There are four laying hens and a rooster in the coop. He’s recently hatched some eggs in an incubator that used to belong to his wife, Kim’s father. Kim grew up with raising chickens in the Wamego area.
“It is part of our livelihood,” he said. “It goes a long way to have closeness to what you grow, to be close to nature and your land.”
Woodyard has gone so far as to share his love of the small farm he and his wife bought a year ago, by posting videos on YouTube – just search for flatheadcat4U to see him plant potatoes or wait on the gravel truck for a load of gravel for the driveway.
“It is a joy for me, not really a chore,” to care for the chickens, “it is just what life is when you are doing what you enjoy,” he said.
Raising chickens has been both a joy and heartbreak for the White family, as twice their flock has been destroyed by marauding dogs. Bayer said the number one predator of chickens is generally the family dog or stray dogs.
But the White’s persisted, and are planning on expanding the flock to 50 chickens just a couple of years after beginning their chicken adventure. The family currently has Red Star hybrids, white Leghorn, Golden Laced and Columbian Wyandottes.
“The chickens are great,” Karen White said. “We enjoy watching them.” The chickens are allowed to free-range in the evenings when the family is home, but are penned during the day and locked in the coop at night.
“We haven’t had nearly the number of bugs as before,” she said, because the chickens eat bugs while out foraging.
To make the chicken raising successful, Elizabeth White suggested that people do their research ahead of time, and she thought for first time growers, that buying pullets, rather than chicks, might be the way to go.
“It is great to know you accomplished something when you set out to raise poultry,” Elizabeth White said.
“There’s something to be said about knowing where your food comes from,” Karen White said, noting that the family also butchers their own meat – chickens and steers.
To offset the cost, but also because the family cannot eat 28 eggs a day, Karen White sells the eggs. She sells to people who want fresh eggs, and those who are old enough to remember farm-fresh eggs from their childhood when more people raised their own poultry. But some people want to eggs are interested in free-ranging hens also.
“One woman told me she wants eggs from happy chickens,” White said.

Appeared in Manhattan Mercury, April 29.

Chris Wilson, new president of American Agri-Women

Chris Wilson: Rising to defend agriculture through American Agri-Women

By Paula Glover
A tour of Ron and Chris Wilson’s farm south of Manhattan includes Nigerian dwarf and Toggenburg goats, llamas, Shropshire sheep, Pony of the Americas, Paint, and quarter horses, chickens, a couple of rabbits. Some are 4-H projects, but all are part of the couple’s agri-tourism business. On the more than 550 acres, the family also farms pumpkins and small vegetables, corn, hay, soybeans, wheat and grain sorghum, along with raising cattle.
When Chris Wilson speaks about the future of agriculture as the new president of American Agri-Women, she speaks from her lifetime in farming, the current tourism and farming business, and preparing for the future in agriculture for her four children.
Wilson has been a member of American Agri-Women since 1978, when she joined after graduating from college in Illinois. Following a stint with the USDA in Washington D.C., she and her husband now live in Kansas, where Ron was reared. She began a two-year term as president in 2009, which will end at the annual convention, to be held in Wichita in 2011. She has also served as president of the Kansas Agri-Women organization.
There are many challenges facing agriculture and women in ag, Wilson said. To help women rise to the challenge, American Agri-Women is using social media such as twitter and Facebook, along with developing a television show. The show, which will air in May on Direct and Dish networks and be available to PBS stations is part of a grant from the USDA to outreach to farm and ranch women. The shows will also be available on the group’s website, www.americanagriwomen.org. The episodes will focus on risk management, farm programs, and topics like how to market grain. The programs will also include a visit to a farm.
Wilson said there are many issues of concern to American Agri-Women. The return of the estate tax will adversely impact families trying to maintain an inter-generational family farm, she said. One of the most pressing needs is to bring the truth of animal agriculture to the general public in response to attacks with “documentaries” such as “Food Inc.” and attacks from groups such as the Humane Society of the United States.
“We need to respond with the facts,” she said. “We need to continue to increase yields in order to feed the world, and do it with the right soil and water conservation measures.” The group’s web site features responses to “Food Inc.” and gives fact sheets on the importance of American agriculture.
“The stakes have never been higher in the challenges to our industry,” she said. “The messages to the public from media portray an agriculture that is not made up of family farms, but of U.S. Food being produced in a factory, where workers and animals are abused by ‘big agribusiness’,” she said.
“Nothing could be further from the truth, as 96 percent of all U.S farms are still family farms, and they produce 82 percent of our food.”
Wilson recalled talking to a friend in the same 4-H club with her children, who was troubled by the allegations in “Food, Inc.”
“These negative images are reaching our friends and family members,” she said. “There are great opportunities to tell the true story of agriculture in our local communities.”
Other issues of concern of the group include health care for long term security and retirement. Also a concern is agriculture labor, as one in six ag laborers are foreign-born and in some states there are not enough laborers. In addition, the group has a program called American Grown Goodness designed to provide a way for growers, processors and marketers to identify their American grown products. A logo identifies the product as American grown.
“We are also looking to bring in the next generation of women into the group,” Wilson said. American Agri-Women has been a group focused on legislation and national issues. But in addition, younger women seek networking and mentoring and need opportunities to develop leadership skills, she said.
Wilson comes from a farm family in Illinois, where her father still manages the family farm. As with many farm families, both she and her husband have off-farm jobs in addition to the agri-tourism and farming. During the legislative session, Chris lobbies the state legislature on agricultural issues. Ron works for Kansas State University in the Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development. He’s also a cowboy poet, known as the Poet Lariat.
The couple has four children. Joanna, 18, is planning on attending K-State in the fall, majoring in animal science, hoping to become a veterinarian. They also have 12-year-old triplets – Stephen, James and Elizabeth, all active in 4-H.
The agri-tourism business evolved naturally, and Chris Wilson said she was initially a little surprised at the number of people who would be interested in visits to the farm. The farm, the Lazy-T west of Zeandale, now hosts such diverse groups as pre-school classes from Manhattan, a camping group from the Boy Scouts, to weekend visitors or a corporate picnic. They hold a spring roundup, fall festival and tours of the original barn on the site, built in the 1860s and now on the National Historic Register. They offer chuck wagon meals, hayrack rides, barrel train rides for the kids, and cowboy poetry.
“I have learned so much as a member of American Agri-Women through our conventions in different states,” Wilson said. “I’m glad to be able to serve as their new president.”

Appeared in Grass and Grain

Enjoying the Greater Prairie Chickens - Part of the adventure of viewing the prairie chickens is getting up early, going to the blind before dawn, and spotting the chickens as they do their courtship display.

After dawn - After dawn, the Greater Prairie Chickens cease their display, and it is time for the satisfied birders to head out for some breakfast.

Greater Prairie Chicken viewing early morning treat

By Paula Glover
It takes a particular type of dedicated bird watcher to get up hours before dawn, and spend a couple of hours hunkered down in a blind – but it is done to see a special bird, the Greater Prairie Chicken. The Prairie Chickens will gather in a mating ritual each spring, continuing through mid-to-late May.
Manhattanites are fortunate because just to the south of town the Konza Prairie Biological Station is a prime spot for viewing the chickens, with the assistance from a volunteer from the Konza Educational Education Program. On Friday morning, April 9, seven guests were met by long-time volunteer Hoogy Hoogheem.
Hoogheem explained that the bird watchers need to be in the blind at least a half hour before sunrise, in order not to startle the birds. The birds come into the lek, the term for the area in which the males display for the females, about dawn and will stay for a couple of hours. Hoogheem said that this is the bird version of “a singles bar” where the female comes to seek a mate.
What makes this a particularly interesting experience is the display the males put on, puffing out special sacks on their neck, which are bright orange. The display also includes a low hooting moan, like air blown across the top of a bottle, and a variety of clucking and foot stamping.
On this day, five males entertained two females, persisting even after Harrier Hawks flew overhead and also landed nearby.
“She’ll walk through and take a look,” Hoogheem said. If the two birds mate, it is over in a moment, he said, and the female will lay one clutch of 14 to 18 eggs, but the survival rate is low due to predation from hawks, foxes and other threats.
Hoogheem moved to the Manhattan 15 years ago, following a visit when his son was stationed at Fort Riley. From Boston area, where he spend 42 years as a school psychologist, he and his wife decided that Manhattan would be a good place to retire.
“The Greater Prairie Chicken in on the lists of birds to see for many birders,” Hoogheem said. He noted he’s had several times when people fly in just for the experience.
Suzanne Robb and a friend, Lynn Heidgerken, came to celebrate Robb’s birthday.
“I am fascinated with the whole prairie ecosystem,” Robb said. “The time of day adds to the adventure. This will take us out of 2010 – it is a timeless event.”
“We like to do something and see something that few have seen,” said Heidgerken. “You never know when you will have a transforming moment.”

The Konza Prairie Biological Station is owned by the Nature Conservancy, and research is done by Kansas State University. For information on visiting the station or scheduling a tour, visit www.keep.konze.ksu.edu or contact Annie Baker 785-587-0381, keepkonza@ksu.edu

Many local opportunities to begin bird watching

There are many prime birding opportunities for people in the Manhattan area, said Chuck Otte, Geary County Extension Agent.
Particularly now, during the spring migration, Tuttle Creek Lake and Milford Lake provide excellent spots. Milford Lake’s wetland area provides a chance to see water birds and shore birds, and uniquely due to the timber area nearby, an “incredible diversity” of other birds.
“So much of the state of Kansas is privately owned and not available for wildlife opportunities,” he said, that Manhattanites are fortunate to have so many places nearby.
He also recommended Moon Lake and the Pet Cemetery on Fort Riley, near the main post and the old territorial capitol. He said even the city parks in Manhattan can be a good place for birdwatching.
There are several websites to assist the beginning birder including www.ksbirds.org from the Kansas Ornithological Society. He recommended the book “Guide to Kansas Birds and Birding Hot Spots” by Gress and Janzen.
There is also an upcoming birding conference in Wakefield, April 23 to 25. The festival features several birdwatching outings and talks by experts. More information is available at www.kansasbirdingfestival.org or by calling Vanessa Avara at 785-238-3108.
“In April and May, there’s a blast of species coming through the area in a short period of time,” he said. “Birdwatching isn’t as much about what we are going to see, it is what we might find. It is like looking for buried treasure, and it is a great chance to be out in the natural world.”

Article in Manhattan Mercury Sunday, April 18, 2010

Father John Pilcher, pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church in Wamego, imposes ashes on the forehead of a parishioner during Mass held at 6:45 a.m. on Feb. 17.


What are you giving up for Lent?

By Paula Glover
This isn’t your childhood Lent anymore. The old phrase “So, what are you giving up for Lent?” still echoes through more traditional, liturgical Christian faiths, but increasingly pastors are inviting people to add spiritual practices or fully examine what they’ve done since childhood.
“As we approach Lent, we should see it as a six week retreat,” said Father Keith Weber, parochial administrator and campus minister of St. Isidore Catholic Student Center in Manhattan. “We should examine ourselves and ask what is it that keeps me from being closer to God? What do I need to do help that? What do I give up, or do I add something.” For example, if a person seeks more discipline, it might be right to give up desserts, but if they need to become more prayerful, they should set aside time for prayer.
“Ask yourself, what kind of person does God want me to be?” Father Weber suggested.
For families, there are ways to make Lent a part of family life. For the Forge family, parishioners of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Flush, Lent is a family affair.
“We talk about it as a family,” Janet Forge said, with four kids ranging in age from 15 to 7. “By default, we give up candy and limit desserts, because that has a meaning for the kids, but they can choose to also do something else.” The family observes the Roman Catholic Church’s fasting and abstinence rules – fasting on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday and fish on Fridays.
“We try to help them think about how this prepares them for the passion and suffering of Christ, to prepare for to make Easter more joyous. The kids are pretty good about it, too, and don’t fight us about it.”
Her husband, Dale, Jr. “Dee”, said that the point wasn’t to achieve a practical goal like weight loss during Lent, it was to achieve a spiritual discipline.
Father Weber would encourage adults to try to grow beyond what they’ve always “given up.”
“When we’re little kids the greatest challenge is giving up pop or candy and that discipline is great for kids, but as an adult, you probably don’t need the same things.” He suggested not automatically doing what you did last season. He also said that the notion that Sunday is a “free day” when the Lenten observance can be let abandoned, is fine for little kids, “when 40 days is a long time,” but as “an adult, we need to make the commitment for the entire season. Why would we have a break, of our goal is to do something to bring us closer to God?” he asked.
The Lenten season begins today, on Ash Wednesday where Father Weber estimated that 2,500 people would come to the parish for Ashes. Many churches dispense ashes with the classic cross on the penitent’s forehead, and one need not be a member of the church to receive the ashes. Ashes are generally made by burning the palm fronts saved from the previous year’s Palm Sunday services.
Lent continues through the Mass of the Last Supper on Holy Thursday, Father Weber said. This begins the Easter Triduum. “As somber as Lent is, the Triduum should be at a deeper level,” he said. The Triduum consists of Mass of the Last Supper, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil. The Triduum (three days) ends at the Vigil.
“We really see it as one service, commemorating one event – the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ,” Father Weber said.
Lent is observed in various ways, depending upon the denomination. Many churches add soup suppers and Lenten Bible studies.
Father Tom Miles, pastor of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Manhattan, said Lent is a season of renewal to prepare for Easter through self examination, repentance, fasting, prayer and reading God’s holy word in the Bible.
“Lent makes us aware of our need for spiritual discipline,” he said. “If we fail in our discipline, it shows us that we can’t do anything without God’s grace.”
“Growing up, I always thought Episcopalians do a mighty Midnight Mass at Christmas, but as I’ve grown older, I think we do Lent better than that,” he said. “For me, Lent is my favorite season because of the simplicity of it. We take everything out of the sanctuary and make it simple, the liturgy is simple and austere.”
One year for his Lenten penance, he realized he was “overstimulated,” so he turned off the radio in the car, and discovered s sense of peace in the silence.
“Simplifying your life is good news, simplifying your diet, eat less, is good news,” he said.

In the Manhattan Mercury, Feb. 17.

Resources for Lent on the Web:
www.americancatholic.org
www.usccb.org
www.pcusa.org
www.anglicansonline.org
http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Lent/
www.umc.org

Todd Sheppard addresses a group at the Country Living Expo on ag law.

Scott Beyer, from Kansas State University, addresses participants at the Country Living Expo.

Should you shoot Fido?
City folks learn the basics of country living


By Paula Glover
Ah, the simple life. City folks move to the country seeking solitude and think maybe to have a large garden, or raise a few goats, and discover a well that doesn’t work, fences that need repaired, the goats escape, and their dogs can’t roam free after all.
Riley County Extension service hosted the first Country Living Expo on Feb. 6 that drew around 65 people to Pottorf Hall on the fairgrounds in Manhattan. Topics ranged from Keynote speaker Todd Sheppard on “Ag Law – Rules for Living in the Country,” to small flock poultry production, septic systems, burn regulations, landscaping for energy efficiency and food preservation.
Madonna Stallman was on hand for the poultry presentation primarily, as she recently began raising poultry. She is a transplant from St. Louis and five years ago, she and her husband moved near Leonardville. “It was pretty much a life-long dream for us,” she said. “We enjoy the peace and quiet.”
However, for the Stallman’s, the dream came with some serious problems with their well – “you should know your water source and have the pump tested by a licensed company and not the one that installed it originally,” she advised. Other surprises included that life is determined by the natural cycles, not your own convenience; the high cost of transportation and road maintenance; and the need to respect the natural cycles of life.
She also recommended getting to know the locals. “Hang out in the coffee shop,” she advised. “Find out who was the original electrician or plumber in the home you’re buying, and ask him questions. So many of the local people have offered to help us now that they know us.”
“It is not a magazine idea of what it is going to be,” she added.
She is just type of person for which the expo was intended.
Greg McClure, extension agent for Riley County, said they were pleased with the turnout.
“There are lots of people living in rural areas,” he added, “folks who didn’t grow up on farms, but want to understand good stewardship.” He said there was support from the local 4-H council and the county commissioners for the event. He anticipated the expo would be offered next year also.
There were several exhibitors, from Riley County Health Department to feed dealers and 4-H offering materials on food safety, gardening, and pesticide use.
Todd Sheppard, an attorney with Charlson and Wilson Bonded Abstractors, raises cattle in Pottawatomie County. Fewer people live in rural areas now than in 1910, he noted. But he said that many people don’t realize that in Kansas, 99 percent of the land is privately owned. Therefore, if a person wants to hunt or even take a walk, they must realize they are most likely on private property.
Sheppard said that people who search the internet for information should be careful, and stick with reputable sites such as K-State and Iowa State. He advised people to join local associations such as the Livestock Growers or one dedicated to the individual’s specific product or crop.
On lease law, he noted that even an oral lease must be cancelled in writing, and 30 days prior to March 1 for the following year. He advised people who might be buying land that is leased to a farmer to make sure they understand the lease laws.
“Try to get off on good terms with your tenants,” he said.
He said that the liability rises if a landowner is charging for a hunting lease, and to make sure that the owner’s insurance policy reflected the increased liability.
Regarding fence law, he suggested repairing a fence, even if it technically isn’t your responsibility, and then speaking with the adjacent landowner, and to keep track of time and materials. Also, he noted that a county commissioner can come and provide a “fence viewing” and determine who is responsible for what part of adjoining fences, if there is a conflict.
Since Kansas remains a “fence out” state, it is the responsibility of a person to put up fences in order to keep cattle, sheep, or other livestock from coming onto their property, he noted.
Many people on hand were interested in what to do about stray or loose dogs, harassing livestock or killing chickens. Although the dog owner is responsible when the dog leaves the property, and technically, a person might be able to shoot a dog, Sheppard recommended against it.
“Animal cruelty laws are changing,” he said. “Don’t shoot the dog.” He advised calling the local sheriff or animal control.
The poultry session was well attended. Scott Beyer, poultry specialist with K-State Extension and Research said that a depressed economy means that people are more interested in small flock poultry production. He recommended that people decide if they want meat or eggs or to raise chickens for show, and chose the birds based on that desire. He said that the so-called “dual purpose” breeds actually result in neither purpose being filled well. If a producer wants to be in a specialty area, he recommended the Heritage birds, and particularly turkeys, which can bring up to $100 at Thanksgiving. A Heritage bird must reproduce naturally, he noted, and commercial turkeys are produced through artificial insemination.
Beyer discussed chicken housing facilities, and said it should keep predators out; be portable so as to allow it to be moved to rid the area of parasites; that the birds should be able to express natural behavior such as foraging and dust bathing; and that there be ample space, sunlight and fresh air. There are many designs available on the internet, he noted, but he had concerns about what are termed “pasture pens” because the low roof means extreme heat for the chickens. Rather than use this type of portable pens, he recommended rotating pasture for the flock in other ways – either through a fencing system that moves around the stationary coop, or moving the coop, or both.
Beyer brought several chicks, which he gave to interested people following his talk.

Appeared in the Grass and Grain, Feb. 17 edition

Mary Kate Metrvier, a sophomore at Immaculata High School in Leavenworth, cheers a speaker at the annual March for Life in Topeka. Many Catholic schools throughout the state sent students to the rally, held Jan. 22.

The March for Life, commemorating the 37th anniversary of the Roe V. Wade decision that legalized abortion, passes in front of the state capitol in Topeka on Jan. 22. Because the capitol is undergoing renovations, the rally was held at the supreme court.

Many people came from around the state, bringing their children to the March for Life, which was preceded by a Catholic Mass at the Topeka Performing Arts Center. Around 1,600 people attended the Mass.

Topeka March for Life draws 2,500

By Paula Glover
TOPEKA – More than 800 enthusiastic young people from Catholic Schools were the highlight of the annual March of for Life in Topeka on Jan. 22. Because the number of people attending the Mass preceding the march had outgrown the Mater Dei – Assumption Church, the Mass was held at the Topeka Performing Arts Center. Following the Mass where around 1,600 were in attendance, marchers assembled for the walk to the Kansas Supreme Court building, where the rally was held, with around 2,500 on the march, led by Knights of Columbus from around the state.
Father Jarett Konrade, vocation director for the Diocese of Salina, met with 45 college students from seven different colleges during a retreat the previous evening.
“It is wonderful to see college students making sacrifices to be here,” Father Konrade said. “It is invigorating and renewing. This is one of the most important causes they can be a part of.”
Father Konrad’s father, Reg Konrade, director of the Diocesan Family Life office and member of St. Andrews parish in Abilene, said he has come to the marches for more than 10 years, because it is an important part of the pro-life movement.
Ron and LaVonna Brown, from Delphos, were also on hand for the march. “There is strength in unity and marching forward together to make our voice heard,” LaVonna said. The couple was most interested in encouraging pastors and church leaders to speak out against abortion. “This is the time to ‘be not afraid’,” she said.
Kathy Martin, an elected representative to the State Board of Education and a member of Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Clay Center, said that she was there to “stand up for children all the children of Kansas, and this includes children who are not born yet.” She added that she was pro-life before her election to the board, and fully intended to continue as a pro-life advocate.
Robbie Kramer of Herington, wife of Deacon Dick Kramer, said she believes that people need to be awakened to the truth of abortion, even if it means using graphic signs. Graphic signs, showing the baby following an abortion, are not used at the March for Life, but she believes they have a place, in showing people the truth of abortion. “We need an awakening,” she said. “We need to for people to awaken compassion in their hearts, even if it shocks you into the reality of what abortion really is.”
Mary Kate Metivier, a sophomore from Immaculate High School in Leavenworth, attended the march with her school.
“I know that as soon as the baby is conceived it is a life,” she said. “I’ve been to other youth events, and I really wanted to come to the march,” added, in between cheering the speakers.
David Gittrich, state development director for Kansans for Life said he’s been involved with the pro-life movement since 1980. He said, while the numbers at the Topeka March for Life have waxed and waned, the numbers were increasing, primarily due to the young people who attend with their schools.
“These young people know that abortion is wrong, no matter what the government says,” he commented following the march. “They can see how abortion has affected their friends. Young people are really ‘getting it’.”

Appeared in the The Register, newspaper for the Diocese of Salina.

Rev. Robert "Cam" McConnell, First Presbyterian Church, Manhattan

Dr. Wesley Paddock, professor of Old Testament, Manhattan Christian College

Kansans rank high in religion survey
By Paula Glover
MANHATTAN – In a recent survey released by the Pew Forum on Religion in Public Life, Kansans ranked number 13 in the nation in placing religion as important in their lives. Utah was number 12 and the top ranked states, with the exception of Oklahoma, were all in the Deep South.
The Pew Forum measured four factors considered important to measure the level of religious commitment. Sixty-one percent of Kansans ranked “religion as very important”; 62 percent said they prayed daily; 77 percent said they had a “strong belief in God; but only 48 percent said they attended weekly church services.
There may be several factors contributing to the importance of religion in Kansas, local experts speculated. One might be that the state was settled by religious groups or that a small town Midwestern ethic promotes continues to promote the value of religion. But, despite the high ranking, there are still challenges facing religious groups in Kansas.
Wesley Paddock, a professor of the Old Testament at Manhattan Christian College and Father Frank Coady, director of liturgy for the Diocese of Salina and pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parish in Salina, both mentioned that the state was settled by religious groups and that influence remains.
“Until about 30 years ago, each community maintained their religious identity,” Coady said. “Where the culture and religion coincide, it is easier to maintain that religious emphasis.” He noted in western Kansas in particular, the population is dropping, and no different ethnic or religious groups are coming in that might challenge the religious identity.
Paddock said he witnessed supportive interaction between a town and church when he was in Washington recently on a Sunday evening, and found the only place for a bit to eat was the local Lutheran church’s soup supper. “It was a fabulous soup supper, and I found out about it from a sign in the center of town,” he recalled. “When you arrive at a town in Kansas, you generally see a grain elevator, a water thank and a church’s spire,” he noted, often a Catholic Church. “It says something about the people who settled here, that they were willing to put such a commitment into building a church.”
Rev. Robert “Cam” McConnell is the senior pastor at Manhattan’s First Presbyterian Church. He has previously lived in Illinois, Minnesota and Michigan. He said the “heartland’s religious values are reflected in the faith and work ethic” of members of the church in Manhattan. “There are talented and accomplished people here, with a deep humility.” Particular to Manhattan, he sees a strong connection between the faith community and the university, for the betterment of both.
“Even in the lowest ranked state, I’m sure you find religious vitality and vigor,” McConnell said. “Our lowest state is probably better than any European nation” in terms of placing importance on religion, he added.
When it comes to attending church services, all three men said it was important, but it represents a challenge facing religious groups today.
“When you talk about spirituality in the country, people think they can go for a walk on the prairie and that is time with God,” McConnell said. However, “as a pastor, I also believe that you find true spirituality in community, in the church, in helping people beyond your own walls, in the Body of Christ.”
While support from the community remains a positive factor, there is also competition from the greater culture that is a challenge.
“The religious scene now is completely different than when I was younger,” Paddock, age 70, said, “with multiple services each week and two week revivals. The attitude was if the church was open, you were there.” He noted it used to be that there were no Wednesday evening or Sunday school activities, and now that has changed. “The sports emphasis is so broad that it has crowded out a lot of other things,” he said.
Coady said that the social aspects are often more important than church and it is fruitless to fight against the greater culture. “It is better to work within the cultural forces,” he said.
“National statistics show that people believe in God, but don’t belong to an organized Church,” Coady said. “People distrust organizations in general, and they want to believe in God, but on their own terms.”
The state is only 20 percent Catholic, Coady noted, but it is still “religiously dishonest as a Catholic to say you want to be Catholic, but not belong to the church.”
While Manhattan Christian College benefits from the more religious emphasis of the state, Paddock said that students often come with a limited knowledge of the Bible, another deficit he’s noted over the years.
Just asking about belief in God is inadequate, Paddock said. He believes a better way of measuring the importance of religion is biblical literacy, and the answer to the question “Does your religious faith change your lifestyle?”

The Pew Forum survey measured 35,556 households in the United States, including all faiths, Christian and non-Christian. For more information on the survey, go to www.pewforum.org

Appeared in the Friday/Saturday edition of The Manhattan Mercury, Jan. 16.