Teachers at School

The students at St. Columbkille Catholic

School today were teachers.

While the K-8 students had the day off, teachers

and principals in our deanery gathered to learn.

 

In the afternoon all the teachers of the same grade

gathered in small groups to learn from each other.

It shows that learning never ends.

Come and See

In today's Gospel Jesus tells the one following Him, "Come, and you will see." This reminds us of our Come and See group. Come and See is an opportunity for non-Catholics who are somewhat knowledgeable about our faith (perhaps because they've been attending Mass with a Catholic spouse) to come and look a little more. After learning more about the faith for a few weeks they can see if they want to continue their faith journey by becoming Catholic.

Another Bathroom Remodel

Almost a year ago a remodel of the bathrooms in the church was chosen as the Helping Hands project for the 2011 Columb's Ceili. That was done in the fall. In the meantime, over the summer, the bathrooms at the school were remodeled. Now the bathrooms in the Social Level have gotten some attention.

Here is a before picture of the women's bathroom:

 And here is an after picture in the women's rest room:

 Here is the men's:

There are new stalls, countertops, faucets and light fixtures.

States Party

The first grade students at St. Columbkille

Catholic School have been studying states.

Yesterday they wore shirts from different states.

Each class got one point for every state represented

by their clothes. They got another point if

they knew the capital of the state(s).

 

Then the classes celebrated together.

 

Most of the snacks represented states or something about them.

So if you have a question about a state

or it's capital, just ask a 1st grade student.

Fr. Vogel & St. Marguerite Bourgeoys

As Quebec began to flourish in the 17th century, there was concern in France that Quebec was too concerned with commercial enterprises. As a result Monsieur de Maisonneuve was chosen as the military leader and founder of the colony of Ville-Marie, which was later renamed Montreal.

Stories of hardships and dangers in Ville Marie that made other people shiver awakened a call from God in Marguerite Bourgeoys to serve the Indians and settlers who endured this adversity. In 1654 she met with the governor of Ville Marie and convinced him she was the person he was looking for to help start a school for the children.

When she arrived in Ville Marie, she found that few children survived to school age. She helped the remarkable Jeanne Mance, who ran the hospital, to change this tragedy. When she finally had children to teach, she had to set to up school in a stable.

During this time King Louis XIV set up a program to provide wives for French soldiers to establish lasting settlements in New France. These Fille du Roi or "Daughters of the King" were young women trained by nuns to be homemakers. When these women arrived in Canada, St. Marguerite Bourgeoys would bring them into the convent to live until they married. In the process she because a mother to these young women.

In 1670 Madeleine Chretien was one of these young women who arrived in Canada and lived with St. Marguerite until she married a soldier, Pierre Chicoine, three or four months later. Pierre amd Madeleine were Fr. Vogel's great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandparents (10 generations) on his mother's side. Their son Pierre Chicoine II was born in 1676, the same year that soon-to-be-named-St. Kateri Tekakwitha was baptized. Blessed Kateri lived 40 miles south along the St. Lawrence River from where the Chicoines lived.

There isn't any detail of their interaction with these saints, but Fr. Vogel suspects the strong Catholic devotion throughout the generations of his family may be rooted in the faith inspired by his ancestors like Pierre and Madeleine.

Although it is not celebrated on the US calendar, today is the feast day of St. Marguerite Bourgeoys. We thank her for listening to God's call and helping establish the faith in North America.

The North Wind

Sr. Delores Dolezal OSB did the Sacramental Preperation and taught second grade at St. Columbkille Catholic School from 1980 to 1987. Evidently the same wind hitting us has been blowing in Kansas where she now lives. Today she wrote us:

The North wind is blowing. We used to sing a song: "The North Wind Doth Blow and We Shall Have Snow." We do need snow. Farmers told me winter wheat does best with a covering of snow all winter long. I love snow. That reminds me, our deceased Sister Clementia, who taught at St. Columbkille, told me that she and the children (I bet they were boarders), would use sleds and slide down the hill in front of school. Every time I had playground duty at St. Columbkille, I'd look down that long hill and smile wide remembering Sister Clementia and the children sleigh riding down the hill. I wish I could have been there with her and the children.

We're working out the finals details, but Sr. Delores and two other Sisters will be visiting us as part of Catholic Schools Week.

Mommy & Me

In December, our preschoolers had a special "Mommy & Me" Day.

We met our moms at the door.

We served them a snack.

We sat down together to enjoy some warm cider and muffins.

 

Then we decorated gingerbread houses together.

It was a great day to spend with our moms and grandmas!

The Baptism of the Lord

In the Church's calendar, today is the last day of the Christmas season. Today we celebrate the Baptism of Jesus. This along with the visit of the Magi and the Wedding Feast at Cana are celebrated as "Epiphany" moments where the nature of Jesus as the Christ was revealed. It is still a wonder to ponder.

Blessing a home

Today, Epiphany, is a traditional time to bless a home. A family can do this themselves:

All make the Sign of the Cross.
Head of Household: "Peace be to this house and: to all who dwell here, in the name of tfie Lord.
All: Blessed be God forever.
Reader: In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things cme to be through him, and without him nothing came to be..... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Fahter's only Son, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-3.14)
Using chalk, write on the outside of your house, above or next to an entrance:
(write the first half of the current year)

+20

Christus

Mansionem

Benedicat

12+

(write the other half of the year) Or you can simply use the first letters C + M + B. These words mean. "May Christ bless this house". (Each word could be written by a different member of the household.)
All: Lord God of heaven and earth, you revealed your only begotten Son to every nation by the guidance of a star. Bless this house and all who inhabit it. May we be blessed with health, goodness of heart, gentleness and the keeping of your law. Fill us with the light of Christ, that our love for each other may go out to all. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Science and Scripture

Are Science and Scripture compatible?

This is the subject of our BASIC (Beginning Apologetics Studies in Catholicism) session tonight at 7 p.m. in the Steinhausen Center.