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4 LOCAL NEWS THE LEAVEN • february 5, 2010
Catholic Community Hospice presents ‘Except for Six’
By Jill Ragar Esfeld
Special to The Leaven
OVERLAND PARK — When Tiffany
James saw the one-hour documentary
film called “Except for Six,” the executive
director of health care services
knew its message had to be spread.
So James, who works for Catholic
Community Hospice and Healthcare, a
division of Catholic Charities of Northeast
Kansas, purchased a copy of the
film and approached the local public
television station about premiering it in
the Kansas City area.
The documentary aired in January
to rave reviews. It will have repeated
showings on Feb. 21 and 22. (See sidebar
for schedule).
“I think it does an excellent job of really
explaining what the entire hospice
team does,” said James.
Produced by Hospice of Michigan,
the film follows three individuals and
their families as they embark on one of
the most important journeys of life —
the final days.
The audience is welcomed into the
homes of Ron Christie, Rosie Thompson
and Naomi “Lee” Redeck as they
face that journey with dignity. The
documentary focuses on hospice care
Show times for
‘Except for Six’ on KCPT:
Sun., Feb. 21, at 5 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Wed., Feb. 22 at 3 a.m. and 5 a.m.
View a trailer of the “Except for Six”
documentary at the Hospice of Michigan
Web site at: www.hom.org.
and the quality of life that can be maintained
by the people who choose it.
“There are several doctors featured
and they talk a lot about how people
think hospice is ‘giving up,’” said James.
“And they talk about why it’s not giving
up. And all the things you gain by having
hospice on your side.”
Indeed, the individuals featured in
the film do not give in to the inevitable
end of life, but rather, with the help of
hospice, take control of their end-of-life
experience.
Their stories are told with poignancy
and humor.
“You’re going to see a funeral; you’re
going to see people really sick,” explained
James. “But the main man that
they follow, Ron, is just hysterical. He’s
very capable till the very end to do
things for himself, and he’s very comical.
Leavenworth — Nationally
known Lincoln scholar and New York
Times best-selling author Ronald C.
White Jr., comes to the University of
Saint Mary here on Presidents Day,
Feb. 15, for USM’s 12th annual Lincoln
Lecture. White will speak on “Abraham
Lincoln’s Journey of Faith” at 7 p.m. in
Xavier Theatre at the main campus, at
4100 S. 4th St. Admission is free.
White, the author of several books
on the former president — including,
most recently, the New York Times
best-seller “A. Lincoln: A Biography”
— will sign copies of his book after his
presentation. Barnes & Noble will be
selling the book at the autograph session
in the Walnut Room, with complimentary
coffee provided by The Pot
Rack.
White has lectured at the White
House and was chosen to speak on
Lincoln’s religious beliefs to a congressional
audience as part of the Lincoln
bicentennial celebration. He is a graduate
of UCLA, Princeton Theological
Seminary, and earned his Ph.D. in religion
and history from Princeton University.
White has taught at several higher
learning institutions and is currently a
“I’m not going to say you won’t shed
a tear, because you probably will — but
I think you’re going to laugh, too.”
The film engages the audience and
encourages them to reflect on difficult
end-of-life decisions.
“I think it does a good job of explaining
the need for advance directives and
end-of-life decisions and those sorts of
things,” James said.
Catholic Community Hospice of
Northeast Kansas is briefly featured in a
spot before the film, explaining that all
the revenue the nonprofit program generates
flows back into Catholic Charities
and allows the organization to assist
those in need.
James said she hopes the film will
educate people about hospice and how
it helps individuals take control of the
end-of-life experience. She also hopes it
will encourage viewers to discuss endof-life
issues with loved ones now.
“The hope is that it plants a seed in
people’s minds,” she said. “And when
that time does come in their own family,
we’d love it if they reached out to
us.”
If not, she continued, “at least reach
out to some hospice program to let
them help through that process.”
For more information
The documentary film “Except
for Six” is part of a public awareness
campaign from Hospice of
Michigan, called “Have You Had the
Talk?” For more information on the
campaign or to order a “Have You
Had the Talk?” tool kit, visit the Web
site at: www.haveyouhadthetalk.
com.
Catholic Community Hospice
recommends the tool kit, provided
Catholics supplement it with information
on end-of-life issues specific
to the Catholic faith. That information
can be obtained by visiting the
Web site at: www.kscathconf.org.
Click on the “Statements” button,
then on “Kansas Catholic Conference”
in the drop-down menu;
choose the link “End-of-Life Documents
from Bishops of Kansas.”
Catholic Community Hospice
Learn more about Catholic Community
Hospice by visiting its Web
site at: www.catholiccharitiesks.
org/healthservices/hospice.html.
Lincoln Lecture to feature best-selling author Ronald C. White Jr.
CNS photo/Bob Roller
Best-selling author Ronald C. White Jr. will speak on Abraham Lincoln’s faith journey at the 12th
annual Lincoln lecture on Feb. 15 at the University of Mary in Leavenworth.
Fellow at the Huntington Library and a
Visiting Professor of History at UCLA.
“Understanding Lincoln’s relationship
with his faith opens up several
windows to help us understand better
our nation’s most revered president,”
White said. “This is an area of Lincoln’s
life usually unexamined or misunderstood.”
Bryan Le Beau, USM’s academic
vice president and historian, called
White a leading Lincoln scholar, whose
thoughts on the president carry great
weight.
“Recently, he has been writing and
speaking on a topic that has both intrigued
and mystified students of Lincoln
for decades: Just what was Lincoln’s
faith? What did he really believe
in reference to God?,” Le Beau said.”
Exploring these unresolved questions
will make for a very intriguing Lincoln
Lecture at the University of Saint
Mary.”
Seating is limited and will be available
on a first-come, first-served basis.
For more information, call (913)
758-6165 or visit the Web site at: www.
stmary.edu.
Archbishop Joseph F. Naumann delivers his homily at the Catholic
Schools Week Mass on Feb. 1 at Hayden High School in Topeka.
THE LEAVEN • february 5, 2010
Themes of Catholic Schools were displayed in front of the altar
at the special Mass in Topeka.
LOCAL NEWS
5
Father Frank Krische distributes Communion at the Mass at
which all Topeka Catholic schools were represented.
Celebrating Catholic Schools
Photos by Elaina Cochran
Most Pure Heart of Mary seventh-graders, from left, Kirah Lohse, Claire Setter, and Megan Muller, are part of the handbell choir that performed at the Catholic Schools Week Mass in Topeka on Feb. 1.
Catholic Pilgrimage
in Turkey:
St. Paul, Revelation,
and the Early Church
Father Ernie Davis of St. Therese Little Flower
and Jude Huntz of the Human Rights Office
in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph
invite you to join them on a pilgrimage Nov. 2
- 15, 2010. Visit Istanbul, Cappadocia, Tarsus,
Antioch,Ephesus, Smyrna, Myra, and Troy. Mass
daily. Airfare from Kansas City, transportation,
hotels, breakfast and dinner, guide and entrance
fees: $2,894.
For a brochure with full itinerary and details
email Fr. Ernie Davis: edavis@sttheresekc.org or
call 816-444-5406.
Don & Kathy Mayer
Your Catholic connection
to residential real estate.
ERA Manning & Associates, Inc.
9870 Quivira Rd.
Lenexa, KS 66215
Office: (913) 754-3106
Residence: (913) 492-8649
E-Mail: don@dkmayerteam.com
Web Site: www.dkmayerteam.com
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