The Rhodes Ahead

Dear Sacred Heart Families,

Special thanks to those who hosted the wonderful donuts with dads event. I love holding the door as they enter. I remind the students as they do, that they need to talk to their dad, not their friends. Sometimes, I throw out funny questions to discuss with them. Like if they had a mean principal when they were in school? What did they get in trouble for when they were in the same grade? What did they do with their friends at the same age?

Questions are important.

When we go to the doctor they will ask questions to help determine how to treat us. Teachers spend a great deal of time in teacher preparation to learn about questions as they matter in instruction. When we think about examining our conscience, questions are vital there too - what did we do that we shouldn't have and what should have we done that we didn't.

Matthew Kelly wrote a book, Building Better Families; A practical Guide to Raising Amazing Children and the first of his 6 points is to ask the right question.

Questions also engage our kids in conversation. Of course the right questions are important - ask the wrong questions and you get the wrong answers. We know that kids like to please, so if I asked the question about how messy their friend's house was when they slept over - they will try to think of an area that wasn't clean and may even elaborate/exaggerate on it. Kelly sums up the section with "The happiest people I know are not the people who do whatever they want...There are many variations of the right question, 'what are you called to do'...Simply by asking the question, you make them start thinking, consciously or unconsciously, about the answer... Questions are powerful. The right question can change the direction of a conversation, a relationship, a life, a business, a church, a nation, even the entire human family. Life is as much about the questions you ask as it is about the answers you find."

Kelly is famous for the phrase "become the best version of yourself physically, emotionally, intellectually and spiritually." This can easily become a question for us and our children at the end of each day – how was I the best version of myself today?

Blessings,

Kathy

We have had the pleasure of joining with other Catholic Schools, led by St. James Academy, to raise money for Alex's Lemonade Stand for several years. They host an event on Sept. 17 including volley ball game versus Bishop Miege, a hero walk and more on that evening. They did move their out of uniform day to Sept. 12, so we are joining in that day as well. We participate in the free dress day for students who make a cash donation.

Also, here is the link for anyone who wants to buy this year's t-shirt.

Here is the link to register for one of the sessions advertised in the flier below.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/4090E4FABA62DAAF49-58340629-smart#/

The Parish School Principal position for the 2026–2027 school year has been officially posted with the Archdiocese. We will work closely with the Superintendent of Schools as applicants apply and will continue to keep our school community informed throughout the process.

Sept. 7 Fr. Joseph Welcome Lunch

Sept. 10 K-1 parent reception after Mass

Sept. 11 Parent Meeting for CPS 7:00-8:15 MPC

Sept. 12 Lemon Out Free Dress Day for cash donation

Music on the Lawn

Chess Club: Mr. Kevin Welch is going to offer a chess club this year on select Fridays for students 1st through 8th grade. It will meet from 3:30-4:30 in Mr. Gaustad's room. Please register here and see the chess club handbook for full details. First meeting will be August 22nd. Cost is $50 and will cover all club meetings and an annual subscription to chesskid.com. Please feel free to contact Kevin at kevinwelch85@gmail.com or 402-943-6044 with any questions or if you'd like to volunteer to help with the club.

The picture below gives a great overview of our new Accreditation process. As we transition from Cognia, there are very few differences as both focus on identifying areas to grow and academics, but Lumen will have a specifically Catholic faith based focus in addition to the other areas.

There is a family that would love to find some help with a person who needs to be at work at 7 nearby. They would drop their first grader at your house about 6:55. Contact the school if you can help.

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0548A5AF2EA3FFC16-57915282-glowing

If you missed the information night, you can attend any meeting at the same location, just contact the email below.

As a reminder, Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish and School is a smoke-free campus. While on Sacred Heart property, including in cars, smoking is prohibited. Thank you for your cooperation!

Labor Day: On September 1st, in observance of Labor Day, there will be no 6:30 am Mass, 7 am Confessions, and the parish offices will be closed.

Capital Campaign Update: We are aware that some people had trouble with the previous link for the update, please use the new link below. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused!

Since receiving Archdiocesan approval this summer to move forward, we have been prayerfully discerning the best next steps to serve our community well. We wanted to share an update with you all regarding the Capital Campaign. Click here to view.

Daily Mass Update: You may have seen the news of the tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis. We ask that you continue to keep the victims, their families, and all who are grieving this terrible loss in our prayers. As a measure of safety for our community, we will be locking the church doors while the students are at Mass. We want to continue to do everything possible to keep our daily Mass goers, our community, and the school students safe.

EVENTS

Fr. Joseph Welcome Luncheon: After many months of prayer and anticipation, the time has finally come to introduce Fr. Joseph to our parish family and the Shawnee community. What better way to celebrate than with a BBQ Luncheon! Join us on Sunday, September 7th from 12:00–1:30 PM in the parish hall for delicious BBQ, sides, dessert, and—most importantly—fellowship with one another as we welcome Fr. Joseph.

RSVP Here

Eucharistic Adoration & Confession: Come spend time with Our Lord in Eucharistic Adoration on September 3, at 7:00 PM for a special evening of prayer, music and quiet reflection before the Blessed Sacrament.

Music on the Lawn: Gather your friends and family for a summer celebration! Enjoy food trucks, face painting, balloon art for the kids, and live music by the Mikey Needleman Band. Don’t miss out! Join Sacred Heart Parish on September 12th from 6:30–9:00 PM for a night of singing and dancing under the stars. Register here.

MINISTRY

Grief support: The Grief Support Group begins Tuesday, Sept. 9, from 7–8:30 PM. Open to anyone who has lost a loved one, the group offers support, comfort, and guidance through the grieving process using Dr. Alan Wolfelt’s curriculum. There is no fee to participate. For more information, contact Tim Murphy at 913-226-4391 or okcmurf@aol.com

Prayer Requests: The Prayer Line Ministry offers daily prayers for those in need, with over 360 parishioners lifting petitions each day. Submit your requests at prayer.chair@shoj.org or on our website: shoj.org/prayer-request.

Theology of Dating for Young Adults: Starting Sept 3 - a series on THEOLOGY OF DATING by Finding Adam and Eve will be hosted every 1st Wednesday of the month in the home of parishioners, Katie & Michael Palitto, with a potluck dinner. Visit their website for the dates & location, to RSVP or message.

Sacred Sips: Join us for the second Sacred Sips event for our young adult ministry on Thursday, September 19, from 6:30–8:30 PM at Tanners, 22374 W 66th St, Shawnee, KS. Fr. Dan Morris will give a talk! Come out & build community!

Catholic Charities Food Drive: On September 20-21 before/after all Masses in the courtyard at Sacred Heart of Jesus Catholic Charities will be having a food drive. Most needed items: Corn, Tomato Sauce, Canned Beans, Ramen, Soup. You can donate financially here. Sign up to help load the truck here.

YOUTH

Volunteers Needed: Help us make an impact for youth programming on Wednesday evenings at the Grade School and MPC (4:30–5:45 PM.) Parents, parishioners, and high schoolers are all welcome—come make a difference! Contact emily.warn@shoj.org or jen.zans@shoj.org for more information or to volunteer!

Middle School YM & Confirmation Registration: Registration is open for Middle School Youth Ministry & Confirmation prep (8th graders) for the upcoming year!

Click here for Youth Ministry registration!

Click here for Confirmation registration!

School Belles, see picture below, is ready to provide uniforms for us. As far as old uniforms, there will be no expiration dates for students to wear the current logo. I know that uniforms are expensive and don't intend for you to have to buy all new uniforms.

St. Benedict Rosary Prayer Group will meet on the little playground at 3:06 each Wednesday to pray The Rosary (or at least part of it) for SHOJ school. All are welcome, even littles can come play while you pray. Please join us.

Email: kathy.rhodes@shoj.org
Website: school.SHOJ.com
Location: 21801 Johnson Drive, Shawnee, KS, USA
Phone: 9134225520
Facebook: facebook.com/SacredHeartCatholicSchool