Thursday, 14 June 2012 08:47

Annual Guadalupe Clinic ballpark fundraiser Sunday, June 17, in Wichita
Tickets for Sunday’s game are available in advance only
WICHITA - The 24th annual Guadalupe Clinic “Family Day at the Ballpark” will begin at 2:02 p.m. Sunday, June 17, at Lawrence Dumont Stadium. The Wichita Wingnuts will play the Kansas City T-Bones that day.
Tickets, sold in advance only, are $5. Most Wichita parishes are selling tickets after Mass. All proceeds go to the clinic. Tickets may be ordered by sending a check to the clinic at 940 S. St. Francis St., Wichita KS 67211-2335. For more information, call (316) 265-7229.
The Guadalupe Clinic, a ministry of the Diocese of Wichita, provides health services for the uninsured, working poor, and those ineligible for medical cards or Medicare.
Pam Stanberry, executive director of the clinic, said the annual fundraiser enables the Guadalupe Clinic to continue to provide services to the uninsured in the Catholic Diocese of Wichita.
“The clinic has seen an increase in office visits over the last two years and thousands of people in the area have been provided medical care by volunteer physicians, nurses and other health professionals through the stewardship and generosity of the people of this community,” she said.

Volunteer choir, orchestra being formed for Catholic conference
Midwest Catholic Family Conference Aug. 3-5
A volunteer choir and orchestra is being formed for the 13th annual Midwest Catholic Family Conference at Century II Convention Hall, Aug. 3-5.
The choir will sing for Masses on Saturday, Aug. 4 and Sunday, Aug. 5, both at 11 a.m. If you are available for only one of the Masses, you are still welcome to participate for that Mass only. Choir rehearsals will be from 7:30 to 9:30 on Thursday evenings at St. Anne Church, 2801 S. Seneca, starting June 28.
The final rehearsal for both the choir and the orchestra will be at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 2 at Century II.
The orchestra will accompany the choir only for the Sunday Mass. The instrumentation includes violin, viola, cello, string bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, french horn, trumpet, trombone, and timpani. Orchestra members who also sing are encouraged to sing in the choir for the Mass on Saturday.
The orchestra will rehearse from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, July 26, as well as the final rehearsal at Century II on Aug. 5. There will be one additional rehearsal prior to July 28 that has not yet been scheduled.
Those interested may contact Barbara Kelly at 618-9787 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . All conference volunteers (including musicians) will receive free registration for the conference.
To volunteer or for more information, please contact the conference music director, Mike Lawless, at (316) 683-0123, 641-5730, or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Raschelle Jirak named Office of Faith Formation program coordinator
By Tracy Winslow
Raschelle Jirak has been named the program coordinator with an emphasis in Totus Tuus for the diocesan Office of Faith Formation.
After receiving a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Emporia State University, Jirak taught Totus Tuus for two summers and volunteered as the Parish Totus Tuus coordinator for several years.
Looking back on her personal faith formation, Raschelle said, “I am amazed at how integral Totus Tuus has been in that process. There have been other means that have formed me into the Catholic that I am today, but Totus Tuus has always been a constant in my life. 
“My earliest memory of Totus Tuus is when I was four years old and Father Bernie (Gorges) was just beginning the program.  My mom would drive me out for pump up at the beginning of each day and would then drive me home because I wasn't old enough to stay for the classes.  I attended Totus Tuus from 1st through 12th grade and went to camp every year from 7th through 12th grade.”
Jirak said she looks forward to working with the youth to help them deepen their relationship with Christ. Another exciting aspect of this position for Jirak is being able to help diocesan priests and parishes form good Catholic men and women.
“We are so incredibly blessed in this diocese with great priests who really have a love of the youth and their willingness to collaborate with the Office of Faith Formation is wonderful to see!”
Jirak was raised on a small farm outside of Ramona, Kan., and was a member of St. John Nepomucene, Holy Family Parish in Pilsen, the same home parish as Father Kapaun.

Mendez recognized for 15 years of service to immigrants at Catholic Charities
By Heather Welch
Ana Mendez, lead case worker for Immigration and Refugee Services at Catholic Charities, has received national recognition for 15 years of service to immigrants in the Wichita area.
The Catholic Legal Network presented the award to Mendez May 24 in Austin, Texas, in front of a gathering of more than 1,500 faith-based immigration program staff from across the country. The organization recognized Mendez for providing excellence in immigration services at the local level.
Mendez said it is the grace of God that has allowed her to work with immigrants for so many years.
“I thank God for everything that He has given me and for the privilege I have of serving others through the work that He has given me. I believe what I do is my mission.”
She believes when families are strengthened by the reunions, citizenship assistance and wrap-around services provided at Catholic Charities it is a reward for herself and for the community.
“Seeing families reunite, return for additional services, and most of all hearing the stories of how we were able to make a difference for them is a great reward for all.”
But Mendez also believes the Wichita community can do more to “welcome the stranger.” She said there should be more promotion of integration of immigrants, and that current immigration laws and misinformation provided by notaries and others preparing paperwork remains a challenge to her work.
“We must continue to work with and educate immigrants and community organizations and advocate for a just immigration reform,” Mendez said. “If service is not one of our motives behind what we do we have missed the mark.”

Newman University awarded $110K grant to help metro area educators
WICHITA – The Kansas State Department of Education has awarded Newman University a Title IIB Mathematics/Science Partnership Grant for $110,000, which the university will use to help teachers in the Wichita and Haysville areas strengthen their knowledge and teaching skills. The grant is approved for one year, and if proven effective has the potential to be renewed for two additional years.
The money will be used to implement the Using Mathematical Practices to Understand Content program, a partnership among the Newman University Department of Mathematics, the Newman University School of Education, the Wichita and Haysville school districts, and the Diocese of Wichita Catholic Schools.
Under the program, about 66,000 students will be served, as mathematics and education faculty from Newman work with educators of grades 3 through 5 from Wichita and Haysville public schools, and grades 3 through 6 from the Wichita diocese schools.
“The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics initiative is very new,” said Barbara Sponsel, Ph.D., Newman University assistant professor of mathematics.
The project will begin with a two-week summer institute focused on increasing teachers’ conceptual understanding of numbers, fractions, ratios and other topics related to the Standards for Mathematical Practice and the Standards for Mathematical Content for the upper elementary grades. Participating teachers in the summer institute, set for July 9-20, will receive a $1,000 stipend and three hours of graduate credit from Newman.
The project is funded for 32 participants. For more information or to apply for the summer institute, contact Sponsel at (316) 942-4291, ext. 2247, or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .