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Among the items for auction this year:

Reserved Pew for First Communion

• Reserved Pew for Confirmation/8th Grade Graduation

• 2016 College World Series Tickets

• Two VIP passes to Aksarben Cinema for one year

• Beautiful Classroom Creations

• Starbucks for a year

• Tickets and Limo Ride to Luke Bryan’s “Kill the

Lights” Concert on May 12th

Future Plans for Fr. Vogel

Above is a picture of Fr. Vogel celebrating Mass before he came to us in 2011 as a newly ordained priest. At the time Fr. Damian wrote, "Our new associate, Fr. Kevin Vogel, begins his ministry with us this weekend. I probably do not need to encourage you to extend your warm welcome to him because you are a very welcoming community, but let me be a good parental figure and do it anyway. The first assignment for a priest is a very important one and the encounters he has with you will be in his memory forever. You take on the important role of helping him put the knowledge he learned in the seminary, his own personal gifts and talents, and the graces of the Holy Spirit into the real world of your journeys with God."

As Fr. Vogel is announcing this weekend, evidently you have done a very good getting Fr. Vogel ready because Archbishop Lucas has asked him to become pastor at St. Boniface in Elgin and St. Bonaventure in Raeville. That will start July 1st. So he'll be here for almost four more months, but we wish him well in his new assignment as he learns how to be a pastor.

Fr. Dave pointed out that St. Columbkille is his first assignment as a pastor where he has one parish with a grade school. But Fr. Vogel will have two parishes, a grade school and a High School. Fr Dave said, "Obviously he is much more competent than I."

Name that Bear

What should we name this bear? 

It 'bears' an image of the original school building on the back...

...and our theme on the back.

Whatever the name, it will be auctioned

at Columb's Ceili on March 5th.

A Birthday Cake and More for 100 Years

Wednesday after the all-school Mass, Archbishop visited our school to continue the celebration of 100 year.

First he visited with our K-2 students

 and answered their questions.

A birthday of 100 years for our school is exciting and Mayor David Black of Papillion came to join in the fun. May Black said that Papillion goes back to the time of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 and St. Columbkille Parish goes back almost as far to 1877. He said he was excited to be part of the celebration and that St. Columbkille is a very important part of our community.

Patrick Slattery is the Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Omaha Archdiocese and he also visited. Superintendent Slattery said that although he works with the 70 Catholic Schools in the Omaha Archdiocese, St. Columbkille Catholic School has a special place in his heart because his wife graduated from here.

With supervision from some KB students,  our 100 year birthday cake was cut. The cake was made with 43 9x13 cakes which were frosted together.

Archbishop Lucas visited the rest of our students as well.

Principal Makey showed Archbishop Lucas a picture of Sr. Celeste who was the first principal at our school. The picture is a recent gift from the Benedictine sister in Atchison, KS. He said that when Sr. Delores delivered the picture, she wanted to make certain he understood the legacy he needs to conmtinue.

While students, archbishop Lucas saw a number of classrooms. He really liked the postcard from his home state of Missouri.

He also thought Mrs. English's

 chair is very comfortable.

Blessings of a Catholic School

"...whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant."

Those Gospel words were proclaimed at a Mass Wednesday for the 100th anniversary of St. Columbkille Catholic School. And they couldn't be more fitting for the occasion.

Archbishop George J. Lucas, in his homily, said service is what has set St. Columbkille apart.

"St. Columbkille School has a great reputation," he said. "And it's not by accident. It's because ... people are trying really hard to not just think of themselves, but to think of others."

Service, Archbishop Lucas said, is one of the greatest blessings of a going to a Catholic school -- and our source of true freedom. He said that as he grew older he grew to appreciate his own Catholic education, particularly because his school taught him to serve. "I learned how to be free to live for somebody else besides myself."

We "become our best selves," he said, and experience that freedom when we use our gifts from God to help others.

Father Vogel, in his homily at the 5:30 p.m. Mass later that day, shared the archbishop's message, again tying it to the Gospel reading. In the passage, the mother of the apostles James and John asked Jesus for a privileged place for her sons in Christ's Kingdom, one sitting at His left and the other at His right. Our Lord then summoned all the apostles, who had become indignant at the two brothers, to tell them what it takes to have a privileged place in His Kingdom.

"You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority over them felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many."

Let's pray for St. Columbkille School, joining in the archbishop's prayer of blessing over the congregation at the all-school Mass:

"Purify Your faithful in body, mind and spirit, O Lord we pray, so that growing as disciples of Christ they may seek to serve rather than to be served. Through Christ our Lord."

Amen.

Inspired by the Year of Faith, Susan Szalewski began writing weekly columns for us. Although that year is over, we liked them so well that we asked her to keep writing. Thankfully, she said yes. So watch for these on Thursdays and see the Year of Faith Blog here.

Celebrating 100 Years with Archbishop Lucas

For the all school Mass today, on the 100th birthday of St. Columbkille Catholic School, Archbishop Lucas was the celebrant. Now only did Fr. Dave and Fr. Vogel concelebrate, but St. Columbkille graduate Fr. John Norman was there as well.

Archbishop Lucas said,“I had the blessing of going to a Catholic School myself. … I kind of took it for granted. I didn’t really realize the sacrifices my parents were making, I didn’t realize the sacrifices the teachers were making, it was all happening around me. … Now that I’m older, I’m getting closer to 100 myself, I’m more grateful all the time for that blessing Catholic education was in my life

“As I think back, … I try to think, what did I get from that? What did I really learn? There were a lot of things that were really good, here’s the one thing that sticks in my mind. I learned how to be free to live for somebody else besides myself. I learned how to be free to live for others.

“We can really be our best selves, we can really use our gifts, if we think about about brothers and sisters, our neighbors and see how we might best use our gifts to serve them.

“I promise to pray for you that you will receive the gifts of the Holy Spirit in abundance, to be able to learn and study and work together. I hope that you will pray for me too.”

After he processed out of the church, Archbishop Lucas said, "In the old days, on a day like this, the Bishop would call off school for the rest of the day. But with all the working families, I'd get crucified if I did that today."

Thank you archbishop Lucas!

Celebrating 100 Years

Archbishop Lucas greets students, teachers, and family who attended Mass today. The all-school Mass was to celebrate 100 years since the decision was made to open the school on February 24, 2016.

Our Lenten Journey

The journey of Lent always seems long and arduous from the beginning vantage point.

But after many years of making this trip, I've learned that in reality the days go by quickly. And with Jesus as our traveling companion, our burden is easy and light. So may we go forth into Lent filled with longing and hope, inspired along the way by Jesus, Who is the Way, and others who became experienced guides on the Lenten pilgrimage, our popes and saints.

Here is some of their wisdom to share:

"Whoever wishes to be My follower must deny his very self, take up his cross each day, and follow in My steps." -Luke 9:23

"Lent comes providentially to reawaken us, to shake us from our lethargy." -- Pope Francis

"Lent stimulates us to let the Word of God penetrate our life and in this way to know the fundamental truth: who we are, where we come from, where we must go, what path we must take in life..." -- Pope Benedict XVI

"Look at His adorable face.
Look at His glazed and sunken eyes.
Look at His wounds.
Look Jesus in the Face.
There, you will see how He loves us."
~ St. Therese of Lisieux

So if you pray, fast; if you fast, show mercy; if you want your petition to be heard, hear the petition of others. When you fast, see the fasting of others. If you hope for mercy, show mercy. If you look for kindness, show kindness. If you want to receive, give. -- St. Peter Chrysologus


Have a blessed trip!

Inspired by the Year of Faith, Susan Szalewski began writing weekly columns for us. Although that year is over, we liked them so well that we asked her to keep writing. Thankfully, she said yes. So watch for these on Thursdays and see the Year of Faith Blog here.

2016 Talent Show

Each Year during Catholic Schools Week, St. Columbkille Catholic school has a talent Show. Here are a few acts from the show yesterday:















We have more videos on our YouTube Channel

8th Grade Mass - Catholic Schools Week 2016

Eighth grade students from Catholic Schools in the metro area gathered this morning for Mass. They packed the cathedral.

Each school had a banner which was part of the Mass procession. Almost every principal was there.

A number of priests were there as well.

 8th Grade students were active

 participants in the Mass.

 Here is a clip of Archbishop Lucas' homily:

It was a great Mass!