Holy Rosary
Catholic Church

Served by the Scalabrinian
missionaries since 1890
911 E. Missouri Avenue, Kansas City, Missouri
Holy Rosary Church
News from the Parish

Christmas 2007

Altar at Holy Rosary Church, Kansas City, Missouri, for Christmas 2007

 

An Experience of Advent


My Advent season began early this year. In the church burglary of mid November, the wireless microphone was stolen. The company that installed our sound system did not have any in stock. A rental company charges $50.00 for the weekend, but was it compatible with our system? For the weekend, I managed to use a small microphone on the altar. I had to speak loud and was exhausted at the end of each mass. I depend on the cordless microphone as I do on my pacemaker.

Week 2: Early Monday morning I contacted the sound company again and I left a message and information of what I needed. No one returned my call. I tried again on Tuesday with the same result. There was a change of personnel in the company and so I gave up. I contacted the largest company in the city and I
left a message on the voice mail but no one returned my call. On Tuesday I drove to their office and after a long wait a salesman took my information and went to his office to consult with the Telex company. He returned half hour later with the news that the stolen model (3 years old) is obsolete. The Telex company will
try to find a model compatible. He referred me to another salesman for further development. On Wednesday after a few vain attempts, I was able to talk with the salesman who told me to email him the information. I did so, and I never heard from him.

The next day I phoned the office and I complained to the manager for the poor service. He assured me that he will take care of me. It was now too late to get a microphone for Sunday. More waiting. In the meantime I checked on the internet and found several models, but all sales are final and cannot be returned.

Week 3: On Monday I called a third company, and the receptionist told me that someone will contact me soon. In the meantime, I received a phone call from Scott, from company #2, who had some options. I chose a wireless microphone from Telex hoping that I would be able to use the head set that survived the burglary. Scott said that delivery time was 7 to 10 days. I requested a two-day delivery and I offered to pay for the additional shipping cost. He called me and asked me to fill out an email credit application. He also needed a tax exempt copy before he can place the order. By now I was getting anxious, impatient
and frustrated.

I emailed the application and a copy of tax exempt form. He contacted me again and told me that he needed a credit card number. In case the bill will not paid in 30 days, they charge my credit card for the purchase. He called me yet again
asking me to email him a note stating that I will accept to pay the additional shipping cost. I could not believe all this red tape business, and I said, “You guys are really professional”. He said they had trouble with people refusing to pay
and denying that they had accepted the extra charge. Now finally the order is in…and I am waiting anxiously for its arrival.

I woke up at 3 am Wednesday morning and my mind began reviewing what has been happening the last couple of weeks. Calling and waiting and waiting… with no control of the situation. I thought, “This is a perfect example of what the historical Advent is all about…people waiting and praying and pleading for the Messiah for 2 thousand years. God spoke through his “salesmen”, the prophets, but Father Joe at Holy Rosary Church in Kansas City, Missouri, wearing a wireless miccommunication with an extra terrestrial Being was difficult… people were frustrated, many lost faith and hope in their God. Even God must have been frustrated because He decided to send a bilingual “prophet” Jesus, who could translate God’s message in human terms. I thought of the many Advents of my life… my waiting and prayer and more waiting for liberation from my "captivities”, for healing, for guidance. But I now realize that in his own time, God provided me whatever I needed. And here I am! How time flies!

My package arrived Wednesday afternoon and I was able to use my head set on Sunday. I believe that all people in their lifetimes live through different Advent seasons of waiting and praying for a “Savior” to liberate them, to heal them and to help them make the right choices, to be their companion and mentor. Advent and Christmas is the remembrance and the celebration of waiting and welcoming of Jesus in our world and in our life.
Each year we celebrate a new phase of Jesus’ growth in our world and in each one of us. I hope your “package” arrived, or will arrive for Christmas.
Happy Advent!

Church bells silent for a while

By now, everyone has heard the news that Holy Rosary Church was burglarized in the early hours of Friday, November 16. I returned on Thursday from a three days retreat with the Benedictine Monks in Atchison, Kansas, and I felt rested and blessed. Early Friday morning, in my routine visit to the church, I noticed some furniture had been moved in the sacristy and an electrical box open with wires cut inside. I became suspicious.

I turned and saw that the cordless microphone that I had seen the night before on the counter was missing. I opened a cabinet where the chalices are kept and it was empty. And so was the second cabinet. The only chalices left were two new ones that we just bought and my personal one that was gold plated. I checked the front door of the church and the doors was locked open. I called the police and reported the theft, and in the meantime, began accounting for the missing items.

Before the morning mass, I went out on Missouri Avenue to see if the police had arrived and on the sidewalk, I saw a cabinet with four amplifiers. My first thought was that somebody else was robbed. When I got close to the cabinet and I saw the writing,“Holy Rosary Church,” I recognized the cabinet holding four components of our chimes system. I could not believe my eyes. Joe Privitera, owner of Mark One Electric, and a parishioner, arrived. KCPD officer Carpenter arrived at 8:00 a.m. and told her to return after the mass.

She returned at 9:00 a.m., checked the church thoroughly and completed the police report. Detectives arrived and also the crime scene investigators.
In the meantime, Wabash Iron & Metal Company was informed by Joe Privitera and a detective to be on the lookout for church vessels to be sold as used brass. At 10:30 a.m., KCPD officer Carpenter informed me that a bag with chalices and other church vessels was found and that I should go to verify that they belong to
Holy Rosary.

I drove there quickly and I recognized our chalices and vessels. Another police report was completed and the church vessels were on the way back to Holy Rosary before noon. Before leaving, I asked the woman in charge of the shop how she was able to get the vessels. She told me after she was warned by the detectives, two young white men came to the shop with a black bag. She opened the door and they showed her the bag. As soon as she opened the bag and saw the vessels, she snapped the bag inside the office and locked the door. The two men ran away and they were caught by the police at the end of the block. I was so excited! I complimented the woman’s courage and I told her she was brave.

I returned to the church with the precious vessels and there were TV stations 5 and 9 waiting for me with questions. They took several pictures of the recovered vessels. I told the reporters that, besides the monetary value, these vessels have a great religious and emotional significance for the families who donated them in memory of a loved one and for the whole parish community. During the morning mass, we had prayed for the recovery of the stolen vessels, for the capture of the suspects, and for their rehabilitation. Apparently our prayer was answered. Eighteen stolen vessels, one microphone from the choir loft and the damaged chimes system were recovered.

The only items missing are the cordless microphone and three other mini microphones. The only mystery unsolved is how the two men got into the church. One possibility is that one of the men remained hidden in church after the funeral on Wednesday afternoon.

I was very impressed by the collaboration of the three branches of KCPD and Holy Rosary's “private detective”, Joseph Privitera. This was my first experience with the KCPD in such an investigation. I was overwhelmed by their excellent work and successful result. I am very grateful to them for a job well done and I compliment their work.

I consider it a “miraculous catch” and a shocking story with a happy ending. TV stations 5 and 9 also deserve kudos for very well-done coverage and for bringing the attention of the community to the good work of our police department.

Fr. Joseph Vicentini, cs, November 25, 2007

 

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