THE FOURTH OF JULY, THE BIRTHDAY OF OUR COUNTRY, is a good time to review our role as Catholics and as citizens of the US. Click here to review an excellent resource that addresses our role as Catholics in the US.
Here is the latest news for the week of July 6, 2025.
We welcome anyone who can attend Sunday Mass at St. JAMES AT 10:00 A.M. Our celebrant is Fr. Garry Richmeier C.PP.S. Considering that many parishioners are still experiencing the effects of the COVID-19 virus and other infections, if you plan to join us in person, we recommend wearing a mask if you exhibit symptoms or are immunocompromised.
We continue to live stream our 10:00 a.m. Sunday Mass, reaching out to parishioners and friends who can’t attend in person. Here is the link to the live stream on our Facebook page for St. James Midtown, KC. A recording of the live-streamed Mass can also be accessed:
Pantry Sunday, July 6
Help us bring nourishment and hope to our unhoused and underfed neighbors by contributing to Bishop Sullivan’s Snack Pack drive. Every small item you share—cheese & crackers, peanut butter & crackers, tuna or chicken salad & crackers, granola bars, fruit or pudding cups, single-serve chips, Vienna sausages, and juice boxes—becomes a simple act of compassion and dignity. How to participate:
- ¨ Pick up one or more of the requested items.
- ¨ Drop them in the collection bin in the back of the church on or before July 6th.
Your generosity turns a hungry moment into a reminder that someone cares. Bishop Sullivan and our entire St. James family are deeply grateful for your ongoing support—and for the love you pour into every package. Let’s show our community the power of kindness in action!
THE BULLETIN INSERT ENTITLED: THE TRANSFORMING POWER OF THE LITURGY, SOURCE AND SUMMIT, LIFE AND ACTION, is an excellent article on how the liturgy intersects with our daily lives.
https://www.usccb.org/resources/TPL-source-summit-life-action-english.pdf
- JAMES’ COMMUNITY GARDEN UPDATE
The clove currant bushes, up against the back of Troost 39, are loaded with little purple orbs ready for picking. These tart berries, if picked prior to turning deep purple, will ripen on the counter.
The Garden Gang will be gathering this Saturday from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm to weed and pull onions. Produce ready to be harvested includes:
Bed 1 – Dill
Bed 2 – Onions
Bed 8 – Kale and Onions
Bed 15 – Swiss Chard
Blackberries and Clove Currents in the perimeter raised bed, Raspberries by Troost 39’s back door.
To bolster PeaceWorks (a local regional anti-nuclear group) resources and help fight the new generation of nuclear weapons, oppose excessive military spending, and oppose endless war, Jane and Henry Stoever are holding a yard sale for PeaceWorks on Saturday, July 19 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at their home on 88th Terrace in Overland Park (near Hadley). Several of their nearby neighbors will also be having yard sales. Be a shopper to benefit the work PeaceWorks does! If you wish to contribute items to be sold in the yard sale, they can be brought to the Stoever home on Friday, July 18. Please contact Henry at henrystoever@sbcglobal.net or call 913-375-0045 with questions.
Urgent Message from Pope Leo XIV: Resist the “temptation” of embracing weapons
We encourage you to read this article from Catholic News Service in light of recent escalations of violence in Ukraine, Iran, Israel, and Gaza.The USCCB’s Committee on International Justice and Peace shares Church teaching and guidance regarding the development and usage of nuclear weapons. We encourage you to explore the teachings and statements here
CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING: FAMILY ACTIVITIES FOR SUMMER
While your family is busy this summer with activities, trips, and family time, build in fun and engaging ways to incorporate Catholic Social Teaching. Some ideas include:
- Make a “bingo card” checklist of practical things you can do as a family to serve in your community over the coming year. Set some dates on your calendar to go out and do them!
- Discover opportunities to learn about and get involved in supporting your community. Catholic Charities is a great place to get started. Additional ideas for community organizations can be found HERE.
- Have a plot at a community garden and then take the produce to food pantries or shelters.
- Visit a senior center and bring greeting cards and games to play.
- Research a pillar of Catholic Social Teaching together as a family (available HERE) and discuss with each other at your next meal how that theme is lived out in life, at work, in school, and in your family.
WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO VISIT THE ST JAMES WEBSITE REGULARLY AT
www.StJKC.org and provide feedback or ideas for posts. Please send your ideas to website@stjkc.org.
YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO READ AND REFLECT ON THE READINGS BEFORE MASS. Readings for July 6, 2025, Fourteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time
First Reading -Isaiah 66:10-14c: God promises to lavish Jerusalem with comfort and prosperity—like a mother nursing and nurturing her child—so that all who love her may rejoice, flourish, and know His power.
Reflection Question: In what areas of my life am I still grieving, and how might I open myself to receive God’s tender, mother-like comfort and overflowing provision today?
Second Reading – Galatians 6:14-18: Paul declares that his only boast is in Christ’s cross—which has crucified the world to him and made him a new creation—rather than in any ritual or fleshly identity.
Reflection Question: What identities or achievements do you find yourself boasting in, and how might embracing the cross as your sole boast reshape your sense of worth and purpose?
Gospel – Luke 10:1-12, 17-20: Jesus commissions seventy-two followers to depend wholly on God’s provision and protection as they proclaim the nearness of His kingdom—offering peace, healing the sick, and facing acceptance or rejection—while reminding them that true joy lies in their names being written in heaven.
Reflection Question: When you’ve felt God send you beyond your comfort zone, how did you learn to trust His provision and protection, and where do you find your deepest joy—in what you accomplish or in your assurance of belonging to Him?
Fr. Don Farnan has a wonderful weekly podcast that addresses important issues of the day and how they intersect with our faith. Check it out and subscribe. https://uponthisrockpodcast.buzzsprout.com/.
24 HOUR VIRTUAL GATHERING FOR PROTECTION AND FORGIVENESS
Begins: July 15, 2025 at 6 pm
Ends: July 16, 2025 at 6 pm
Trinity was the first detonation of a nuclear weapon, conducted by the United States Army on July 16, 1945, as part of the Manhattan Project. Eighty years ago, the government did not warn (or evacuate) the tens of thousands living within a 50-mile radius of the test site. The detonation produced more heat and light than the sun, generating radioactive ash that fell for days. The communities downwind of the blast saw a spike in infant deaths in the months after the explosion, and generations later continue to suffer its harmful effects. Join us in solemn prayer in person at the Trinity site, or online from anywhere in the world. We seek peace, protection, and forgiveness through a full day of reflection on this 80th anniversary of the first atomic test.
SPIRITUAL WISDOM OF TREES
September 8, 22, October 6, 20, November 3, 17 2:30 – 3:45 pm
Marillac Retreat and Spirituality Center
4200 South 4th Street Leavenworth, KS
The Christian ecumenical celebration of the Season of Creation begins on September 1 with the World Day of Prayer for Creation and ends with the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, patron saint of ecology. Viewed through the Lens of Christian faith, Marillac Retreat and Spirituality Center invites you to attend the 6-part series examining the science and Spirit of the forest and explore the ancient wisdom that trees offer us for deep connections with each other and the Earth. You are invited to one or all the sessions as we explore:
• How to survive and thrive
• The importance of living in a community
• Loss, resilience, renewal, and gratitude
• Living in the light, dark, and in-between times. If you have questions, contact Sue Robb at srobb@scls.org.