Thursday, 02 February 2012 13:08

Catholic Charities Cruise Night Feb. 26
The 19th annual Catholic Charities Cruise Night, a benefit for the agency’s Shelter Services, Harbor House, and St. Anthony Family Shelter is Sunday, Feb. 26 at the Beech Activity Center, 9710 E. Central Avenue in Wichita. Doors open at 5 p.m.
This year’s Cruise Night Captain is Freddy Simon of Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers.
The setting will be a Winter’s Evening Cruise of the Great Lakes. Make ticket reservations by calling (316) 264-8344 extension 1221 or online at http://ccwcruisenight.eventbrite.com.

Credit union members help Via Christi’s Children’s Miracle Network
WICHITA – Catholic Family Federal Credit Union raised more than $1,900 during 2011 for Via Christi Children’s Miracle Network. Marilyn Wells, CFFCU president, presented the check to Jill Bosley, director of Development for Via Christi CMN. The credit union and its members raised the money through a skip-a-payment program for their members, change jar collections, an employee bake sale and bracelet sale. They also received a matching grant from CO-OP Financial Services, a national credit union-only ATM network and national sponsor of CMN. Catholic Family Federal Credit Union also is a member of Credit Unions for Kids, the second largest national sponsor of Children’s Miracle Network.

Dear Neighbor Ministry offers free tax return preparation and e-filing
WICHITA – Congregation of St. Joseph’s Dear Neighbor Ministries is taking appointments for people in need of assistance with their tax return. The free service will begin its eighth year as a VITA Tax Preparation Site on Jan. 30.
Fourteen IRS certified volunteers will be available to those with low to moderate income. Generally this means, people with income under $50,000. The free service, will allow people to file their return electronically with direct deposit to their bank account.
Agnes DeVasure coordinates the tax program and serves as the liaison with the Internal Revenue Service.
At this year’s kick-off meeting, she told the volunteers, “Our goals are to help people file their federal and state returns without charge and to help them avoid the high-interest schemes of instant returns.”
DeVasure explained that in most cases people would have their refund within a few days.
“Our volunteers have been trained and certified to help people get all the tax benefits they are entitled to get. We are especially careful to file for earned income credit, child tax credits and state homestead credits if possible.”
To make an appointment call Dear Neighbor Ministries at (316) 684-5120.

Diocese wants to serve hard of hearing, deaf
The Diocese of Wichita is interested in ensuring that the deaf or significantly hard of hearing are active members of the community of the faithful.
Please invite anyone with a hearing disability to contact the Ministry with Persons with Disabilities by e-mailing Tom Racunas at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or Father Ken Van Haverbeke at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .
They may also contact the ministry’s office at the Chancery at (316) 269-3900 by using the Video Relay Service 711.

Rite of Election to be held in McPherson, Independence, and two Wichita parishes
Since the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception is under renovation, Bishop Michael O. Jackels will celebrate the Rite of Election in four different locations on four different days.
Here are the dates and times:
• Sunday, Feb. 12, St. Andrew, Independence, 3 p.m.
• Sunday, Feb. 19, St. Joseph, McPherson, 3 p.m.
• Sunday, Feb. 26, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Wichita, 3 p.m.
• Sunday, March 4, Church of the Magdalen, Wichita, 3 p.m.

Patristics symposium, Lenten retreat set for February in Wichita
The Second Annual Eighth Day Patristics Symposium, “The Living Body of Christ: The Patristic Doctrine of the Church,” will be held from noon to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10, and from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Feb. 11 at St. Michael the Archangel Orthodox Church.
This conference is a live-feed broadcast from the Florovsky Society at Princeton Theological Seminary. The suggested donation is $20 for one day, or $35 for both.
The Wine-Tasting Feast of St. Valentine Fundraiser is scheduled for Feb. 14 at The Ladder, next door to Eighth Day Books. An elegant five-course meal, paired with five wines (or beers), will be served along with a culinary/spiritual meditation for each course. Seating is limited to 24. Dressy-casual attire suggested. The deadline for reservations is Feb. 10.
A Lenten retreat is planned for Feb. 24-26 at the Benedictine Abbey in Atchison. Registration for “Sacred Time and Christian Prayer: Praying the Hours with Kansas Monks” is $115 and includes five meals, a bed for two nights, and teaching.
For more information call (316) 573-8413, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or visit www.eighthdayinstitute.com.

Newman University to present film about and lecture by wrongfully convicted Darryl Hunt on Feb. 6
WICHITA – The subject of an award-winning documentary will host a screening of the documentary about his life ,“The Trials of Darryl Hunt,” at 7 p.m., Monday Feb. 6, in Performance Hall of the De Mattias Fine Arts Center on the Newman campus.
The film documents the personal story of Hunt, who was wrongfully convicted and spent 20 years in prison for a brutal rape and murder.
Hunt will take questions from the audience immediately following the film. There will also be a brief reception and an opportunity to pre-order signed copies of Hunt’s forthcoming book, “Life Interrupted: The Trials of Darryl Hunt.” The event is free and open to the public.
Hunt’s appearance is the result of a successful grant application made by Assistant Professor of Criminal Justice Jill Fort, Ph.D. to the Gerber Institute last year. The Newman University Criminal Justice Program is making the presentation with support from the Gerber Institute for Catholic Studies.
The Gerber Institute is named for the Most Rev. Eugene J. Gerber, Bishop Emeritus of the Diocese of Wichita, and was founded to help strengthen Catholic studies and Catholic identity at Newman University, and to promote scholarly work in the area of Catholic studies. Since its founding the Gerber Institute has hosted several lectures, panel discussions and other events featuring prominent writers, thinkers, theologians, commentators and others.
For more information about Hunt or the Gerber Institute for Catholic Studies at Newman University, visit www.gerberinstitute.org.

Catholic Advance offers a free classified for those seeking work
The Catholic Advance is offering a free classified ad for any Catholic in the Diocese of Wichita who is jobless. (See page 21)
Submissions of under 50 words may be made by emailing This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . The free classified will be printed in four editions. After the fourth edition they must be resubmitted.
All ads are subject to editing. The Advance reserves the right to reject any submission.
Potential employers are asked to review the classified section. All the faithful are asked to pray for those who are unemployed or underemployed.

Do you have a vocation to a Third Order?
Third Orders are secular members of religious orders, men and women who do not live in community with others of their order, but who instead live in the “world.”
They are called to live out their spirituality by walking the path of a particular order in their single or married secular vocation.
Those interested are invited to contact:
Lay Carmelites: Mary Treinen (316) 687-6636, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Benedictines: Pat Lowrance, (316) 775-5663, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Secular Franciscans: Larry Menestrina (316) 832-1357, wichitasfo.org, or 1-800-FRANCIS.