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	Roman Catholic Church -- a Matter of Faith The Capital-Journal [Topeka KS] March 28, 2004 First there was the priest sexual abuse scandal, then controversy over the statue at Washburn. Despite all the recent travails, local Catholics say they remain committed. By Phil Anderson The Capital-Journal With Easter two weeks from today, David Knocke is getting ready for one of the most important days of his life. At 37, he is preparing to become a member of the Roman Catholic Church. "When my wife and I were married," Knocke said, "I committed that we could raise our children Catholic. In order to more fully commit to that, I feel it's important that I myself learn more about the ins and outs of the church." To that end, Knocke has attended classes since September that prepare potential members for the Catholic faith. Knocke said there are seven people in the class, rather than the 20 to 25 who usually attend. "It's down this year," Knocke said. "I can't help but thinking that has something to do with some of the things going on in the church." Knocke joins the church fully aware of the problems it has experienced. Like many local Catholics, Knocke said he has been pained by the church's sexual abuse scandal, as well as by the "Holier Than Thou" statue on the Washburn University campus. Yet none of the bad news surrounding the church over the past two years has kept Knocke from joining. He said he has learned to "sift" the good from the bad, particularly with regard to the small percentage of priests who were guilty of sexual abuse. The vast majority of priests, he said, are loving and caring ministers who have done nothing wrong. In his view, the church was "fairly slow to react to a problem that clearly existed," as evidenced by its own documents. In many respects, the scandal reflected a larger cultural problem, rather than a church-only ordeal, he said. While rank-and-file Catholics have been critical to varying degrees of the way the church handled the situation, many say they believe the church is heading in the right direction today. Hundreds of priests have been removed from their churches across the nation. Some have been prosecuted for criminal acts. It is part of the winnowing process that must take place for the church to get back on its feet, members say. Knocke, who works in an administration capacity at Stormont-Vail Health Center in Topeka, will become a member of Christ the King Catholic Church in southwest Topeka, where he has attended for the past decade. Hundreds of priests have been removed from their churches across the nation. Some have been prosecuted for criminal acts. It is part of the winnowing process that must take place for the church to get back on its feet, members say. Knocke, who works in an administration capacity at Stormont-Vail Health Center in Topeka, will become a member of Christ the King Catholic Church in southwest Topeka, where he has attended for the past decade. Raised in the United Church of Christ, a mainline Protestant denomination, Knocke has attended Catholic parishes since before he and his wife, Catherine, were married. With three children -- Elizabeth, 10, William, 7, and Paul, 5 -- reaching the age where they can begin taking part in certain Catholic sacraments, such as Holy Communion, Knocke said it was time for him to "get his act together" and make his conversion official, so he could participate more fully in the church with his family. In so doing, he joins the many church members who are remaining loyal to their faith, even during a difficult time. "You don't run from it," Knocke said of the church's problems. "You work through issues and you keep the family together." Strong commitment Topekans John and Betty Henderson remain devoted Catholics who are active at both St. Matthew's Church in Highland Park and Assumption Church downtown. They also take part in other groups, including the Glory to God prayer ministry that meets at Most Pure Heart of Mary Church and was started as a result of the Catholic charismatic renewal. Nearly every day of the week finds the Hendersons setting up for a Mass or being a lay reader. Their involvement in the church hasn't wavered over the tumultuous past two years. "I think all the stuff that's been going on has been a concern to all Catholics, and a lot of non-Catholics, too," said John Henderson, 66. "I suppose there are some that would be upset enough about it that they'd go someplace else to church. But the fact is, there have been scandals before in the church, just as there have been in society, and the church has always survived in spite of them. "Jesus promised us he'd be with us until the end, and that the gates of hell would not prevail against the church -- and that it would survive." Henderson's wife, Betty, 62, is a part-time mathematics instructor at Washburn. When she looks out her classroom window, she can see the controversial "Holier Than Thou" statue. The statue, which was placed on campus in September 2003 on a temporary basis, depicts a Catholic clergyman wearing a miter on his head. The miter can be construed as a penis. Many Catholics have railed against the statue. A lawsuit was filed to have the statue removed from the campus, but a judge ruled the statue could remain. The Hendersons say the problem has more to do with what they perceive as an inconsistency in university policy than with free-speech concerns. They also question whether it violates the separation of church and state -- the same philosophy that could keep a Nativity scene at Christmas or a statue of the Ten Commandments off the campus. Would the university allow a statue that would similarly offend a non-Catholic group? The Hendersons doubt it. They say Catholics are fair game for any kind of cheap shot that can be fired at them at this point in time, while other groups are immune from such attacks, even when cloaked in artistic freedom. "I understand about academic freedom as a teacher," said Betty Henderson, who converted to the Catholic faith many years ago. "I teach at Washburn and I see that statue outside my classroom. I'm like all the rest -- I wish we could hit a rewind button and have it disappear." It will be moved in July as part of the agreement that brought it to campus for a specified period. But for Catholics like the Hendersons, the pain the statue generated won't be soon forgotten. Staying focused Jeff Gabriel and his wife, Jane, have three children at Christ the King school and church. In April, they are expecting their fourth child to be born. For the Gabriel family, there was never any discussion of leaving the church, even though the priest sex-abuse scandal was particularly painful. "I don't believe it was a discouragement," said Jeff Gabriel, 41. "It was really more of a sadness, I guess, about some of the things that have taken place. But it actually makes you stronger and makes you have a stronger resolve for the religion you have chosen." Like Knocke, Gabriel has his religious roots in Protestant Christianity, as a former member of the United Methodist Church. Gabriel joined the Catholic Church before getting married. Prior to joining the church, he also attended classes that instructed him in the basics of the Catholic faith. Gabriel, who is executive director of the Kansas National Guard's STARBASE program, volunteers with the Cub Scout pack at Christ the King Church. His wife is president of the Christ the King school council. Rather than jumping ship in the middle of the storm, Gabriel and his family rode out the problems that received so much media attention. Gabriel said he believed the church has become a "better religious institution" because of the steps it has taken with regard to abusive clergy. "It has made the church better," he said, "and helped many grow closer to their faith." As Easter approaches, the cloud that has hovered above the Roman Catholic Church for much of the past two years seems to be lifting. The hope Catholics like Gabriel feel is closely related to the Easter message, which is central to the Christian church. "I feel like the air is clearing," Gabriel said. "I think we're going to see better times ahead." Phil Anderson can be reached at (785) 295-1195 or phil.anderson@cjonline.com. CATHOLICS: BY THE NUMBERS 8: Catholic churches in Topeka 194: Archdioceses and dioceses in the U.S. 1,596: Catholic high schools in the U.S. 6,949: Catholic elementary schools in the U.S. 45,700: Priests in the U.S. 63 million: Catholics in the U.S. SOURCE: United States Conference of Catholic Bishops