Happy Club

Yesterday the Happy Club gathered at noon for their March meeting.

 In addition to their potluck meal...

 ... our own Deacon Bill Hill was on hand.

Deacon Hill is the Director of Catholic Cemeteries. What he wanted to emphasize is the importance of planning what you want ahead of time. What is planned isn't nearly as important as the fact that something is planned so that surviving family members have less questions and can mourn.

Lance Zimmerman told of a man who had been a carpenter. When he died the family assumed he wanted a wood casket. But in his instructions he said he wanted a metalic blue casket to represent his service in WWII. So making plans is a gift for the family who don't have to wonder what they would have wanted.

Fr. Damian was able to get his questions answered yesterday, but Catholic Cemetaries will be at all of the Masses April 21-22 to make information available to anyone else with questions.

The Happy Club meets the first Monday of every month. They eat at 11:30 and follow that with either a program or Bingo.

Scout Sunday

Our scouts but in a lot of work on projects

to earn their religious emblems.

They reviewed their work and explained what they

learned in an interview with one of our deacons.

On Scout Sunday Fr. Vogel presented the awards.

Congratulations to our Scouts!

Confirmation Preparation

Sunday night confirmation candidates and their parents gathered for the third of five preparation sessions. Deacon Hill led a prayer service and reflection. Then Fr. Damian spoke to the group about Sacraments. Then candidates and their parents gathered around tables for small group faith sharing.

Here is an excerpt from Fr. Damian's talk:

Deacons at INET

Three of the deacons associated with St. Columbkille are involved with the INET conference today exploring RCIA.

Deacon Bill Hill is leading a workshop based on the Come and See classes at St. Columbkille. Some people who are considering entering the Church are in a different place that those entering RCIA. Come and See allows some of those people a safe place to consider what it means to be Catholic.

Deacon David Krueger led a workshop explaining how St. Columbkille used the Strength Groups in our parish as part of mystagogia this year.

Deacon Eric Vande Berg is part of the group putting on INET. We appreciate his year round effort to help parishes in the Archdioces learn from one another and grow together.

Congratulations Deacon Hill

Deacon Bill Hill has been named Director of Catholic Cemeteries.

On Thursday Deacon Hill will officially retire from the Human Resources Department at Creighton University. There are five Catholic Cemeteries in Omaha which the staff of about 26 maintains. They help families who are at need of burial as well as assisting those who want to plan for their funeral sometime in the future.

Deacon Hill said, "It's a challenge, but every endeavor worth doing is."

Congratulations!