

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish: Hope in Action
By the Redemptorists in Kansas City
The Redemptorists continue to joyfully live out the mission of witnessing and proclaiming the Plentiful Redemption of Jesus to the poor and most abandoned in the heart of Kansas City. Our witnessing and proclaiming are rooted in daily communal prayer, meditation, the Eucharist, and life-sharing, nourishing a deep fraternity that overflows into mission. Our spiritual life fuels a wide range of pastoral ministries. We celebrate the Eucharist daily with God’s people; bring Christ’s mercy and peace to all who seek healing and strength through the Sacrament of Reconciliation and pastoral care of the sick; walk with youth and young adults as they navigate life and faith; offer a compassionate presence to refugees and migrant families; and serve the poor and those in need through outreach programs.
With hearts full of gratitude, the Redemptorists in Kansas City give thanks for the prayers and generous support of our Redemptorist confreres and the faithful, which sustain and strengthen our mission of witnessing and proclaiming Christ’s plentiful redemption in the heart of Kansas City at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish

Confreres at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Redemptorist Church continue to be very busy! To give you some statistics: from May of 2024 until May of 2025, we have had 51 Baptisms, 36 First Communions, 27 Confirmations, 17 funerals, 70 Marriages, and 10 quinceañeras. We also provide pastoral care to Children’s Mercy Hospital, St. Luke’s Hospital, Truman University Hospital, St. Luke’s Nursing Home, and St. Luke’s Hospice House. In addition, we celebrate two Masses every weekday (three on Tuesdays and the First Friday), each followed by at least half an hour of confessions. On Saturdays, we have a Mass at 8 AM, two-and-a-half hours of confession, and the Vigil Mass at 5:00 pm. On Sunday, we celebrate Masses at 7:30 am, 9:30 am, 11:30 am, and 5:00 pm. We recreated our entire Religious Education and OCIA processes. Now, children have classes on Sunday mornings from 10:30 am until 12:00 noon. We have 19 trained Catechists, and our OCIA meets on Monday nights. We have started a Young Adult Group that meets twice a month, but now they are asking if they can meet three times a month. We started a Teen Group that meets once a month, a Ladies Group that meets monthly, a monthly Men’s Prayer Breakfast, and our Knights of Columbus Round Table has grown so much that we now have a Ladies Auxiliary of the Knights of Columbus as well. And lastly, all the boiler and HVAC issues have been repaired, we have replaced the entire sound system, we are about to install video equipment, and we have raised enough funds to repair all of the windows in the church. In short, we are a thriving community, growing and expanding every day.
Our Fr. Don Willard also serves on the Board of Directors of Cristo Rey Kansas City High School. This year, 48 students graduated. They received a Catholic education and work experience. The job placement program allows students who ordinarily could not afford the Catholic high school tuition to obtain an outstanding education. Also, the experience teaches them responsibility, integrity, professionalism and discipline. Currently we are on track to have over 60 students enrolled in the freshman class. We also have entered negotiations for a new lease agreement. The working partnership with Christo Rey and the Redemptorists has flourished, and we are truly meeting the needs of the poor and the most abandoned.
Serving our community at the Redemptorist Social Services Center, the staff (above) sees the face of need and the power of compassion every single day. As economic pressures grow for families and individuals across Kansas City, we remain deeply committed to meeting those needs with dignity, respect and love. Each week, we serve over 1,500 individuals through a wide range of essential services. Our weekday food pantry supports more than 400 families, and our daily lunch program ensures over 120 for working families and seniors facing impossible choices between paying for rent, food, and medicine. What makes this work possible is not just our programs it’s our people.
We are also so fortunate to have Br. Steve Fruge as part of our volunteer team, who, along with Fr. Don and many dedicated parishioners, keep our mission alive through their faithful service. Their presence is a gift to our clients and to all of us who serve.
Though our organization is small, we are mighty in heart, impact and determination. In addition to food and clothing, we offer hygiene kits, rent and utility assistance, and programs that support both our seniors and youth including growing sports and enrichment opportunities for neighborhood children.
At Redemptorist, we are building more than a safety net; we are building a community rooted in hope, healing and shared humanity. Every meal served, every kind word spoken, and every helping hand offered is a reminder that together, we are changing lives.