Rockhurst University – Kansas City, MO

After crossing lots of big rivers, Mississippi, Missouri, I arrived safely in Kansas City, MO., where our Jesuit-run Rockhurst University is located  (Rockhurst University). They are celebrating their 100th anniversary year.

The former Rector of the Community, John Vowells, was in office during the same time that I served at Fairfield, and we became good friends. He is now pastor of the St. Francis Xavier parish (St. Francis Xavier) near the University. It was the first contemporary Catholic Church to be built in the US and was constructed in 1949. The artist tried to fashion the Christ figure in the sanctuary with a face that would reflect the major ethnic characteristics of Americans. It still looks very modern today. The Stations of the Cross are also quite interesting.

Today is the feast of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. This weekend is also the welcome weekend for the Freshman class at Rockhurst, so there were lots of moving vans and SUV’s filled with stuff that the new students are going to try to squeeze into their tiny dorm rooms. They had a whole quadrangle set up for lunch outdoors after the welcoming Mass at noon.

After lunch I headed over to the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art (Nelson Atkins Museum) . It has an interesting sculpture garden which also includes an artist’s idea of the museum as badminton net and there are larger than life shuttlecocks lying about the grass lawns in front and behind the museum. It is a wonderful bit of whimsy. The statue of Rodin's "The Thinker" seems to be contemplatiing his next serve!  They have an excellent Asian and American Indian collection and the displays are informative and beautiful. And it is free!

Tonight I am going out for a good steak.

On Monday I decided to do some exploring of the Bush Creek (Community Partners) area and the Country Club Plaza  (Plaza), which are very interesting parts of Kansas City. 

Mary would like all of the fancy shops along the Plaza blocks, especially this one that caught my eye.

As I was traveling I saw the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art and thought of my grand nephews, Jaiden, DJ and Drew, who are now intersted in bugs!  This is one big spider.

On the way back I got another shot of the lawn in front of the Nelson-Atkins museum which gives the perspective of the badminton court on the lawn.

Tomorrow I head for Denver Co. and Regis University.