Refreshed, Renewed and Full of Zeal

My heart and home are a little emptier this week.

Our three youngest children have been gone since last weekend.

Two went to the archdiocese's Camp Virtus et Veritas, a summer camp for boys entering sixth through ninth grade, about two hours west near McCool Junction, Nebraska.
And their younger brother, David, has been living it up at a lakeside home of a family friend, near Fremont. The friend graciously extended an invitation to David after he expressed his sadness about being left behind while his brothers Paul and Pete went off for to a week of camp fun.

So here I am typing in complete silence at home (while teenage girls sleep in late and their older brother is at class at Creighton), enjoying the peace but thinking it's eerily quiet without the noise of a 13-, 11- and 8-(almost-9-)year-old. I'm thinking about them, but I'm pretty sure they're not thinking about me or missing home. I'm getting reports and seeing pictures from Camp V² of mud slides, archery, swimming and other outdoor fun. And from David's lake resort, tales of travels and water fun and a texted photo of him bobbing around in an inner tube.

I'm reminded that we all need getaways, especially the Camp V² type, which also incorporates Mass, Confession, Adoration, praying the Rosary, Bible study, spiritual talks and lessons on saints. I'm eagerly awaiting camp stories from Pete and Paul. Last year -- before Peter was old enough for the camp and Paul went alone -- Paul excitedly shared stories about the camp during the long ride home. He talked about friends, the mud slides, swimming, his sunburn, toads and a cool dog that wandered over from a neighboring farm. But he also talked about his faith, vocation stories from priests and seminarians, what he learned about the life of St. John Bosco and how cool it was that he got to go to Mass everyday!

Try as I might, I could never convey to my children that excitement about encountering God. How awesome is our God that He lowers Himself to us and awaits a deep, personal relationship with us, if only we give Him a chance!

We all need to be that passionate. We all need to be surrounded by like-minded Catholics, to learn to pray, to share the Bible and the examples of the saints, to hear about the miraculous ways our Lord works in each others' lives. For at least one week out of the year. Without cell phones and other distractions (which Camp Virtus et Veritas wisely has the boys leave at home).

We all need to let loose and have some all-out fun once in a while. And we all need time away from our regular routines to focus on the One Thing That Truly Matters. Then we can return to our lives refreshed, renewed and full of zeal.


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.

Our Soundtrack

Call me crazy, but I love road trips.

Last week about half our family drove 2½ hours to Elgin, Nebraska, to meet up with friends I'd met while in college and to visit our former associate pastor, Father Vogel, in his new hometown.

Road trips. When else can you spend hours with the people you love, together in the close confines of a car, sharing in-depth conversations, laughs, a few squabbles and even some odd smells?

And music. What would a long car trip be without a soundtrack?

Finding songs we all enjoy can be tough for our family because of our range in age and tastes. But usually we find something. Throughout a trip, we might find ourselves returning to certain songs, artists or types of music. And a theme develops.

On one vacation, we listened more than once to a CD of Irish pub songs. The kids picked up the lyrics quickly, and we'd all sing along. I had to caution them not to sing the songs at school or other places where the words might be deemed inappropriate. Not everyone appreciates a child singing: "And it's all for me grog, me jolly, jolly grog. All for me beer and tobacco."

On our most recent trip, we developed a Dean Martin theme. It's hard to resist "That's Amore" mixing young love with Italian food. Or the sweet, nostalgic, lifetime love described in "Memories Are Made of This."

By the last leg of the drive home, we'd listened to ol' Dino for a fifth, sixth, maybe seventh time over two days. I thought I'd be tired of the music, but I wasn't. It was the backdrop for the new happy memories we made over two days: eating spaghetti around a dinner table at our hosts' home while Father Vogel talked about the mischief he got into in college (you'll have to ask him about that for yourselves); standing under a wind turbine as the blades above whizzed around at 200 mph; watching a movie under the stars while enjoying a cool breeze; listening to an astute college student explain prehistoric life as she patiently, tediously scraped away limestone to uncover ancient horse bones; finding treasures for a bargain at a thrift store; trying our hand at organ-playing, at the invitation of a kind, retired choir director who welcomed us to explore her church one afternoon.

It was a simple trip, with simple pleasures. But they formed "sweet, sweet memories," like the ones Dean Martin sang of:

"See how the flavor stays. These are the dreams you will savor."

Thank you, Lord, for memories made of this.


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.

Fr. Vogel's Commission to the St Columbkille Laity

Father Vogel left us with a commission before leaving St. Columbkille for his new parishes in Elgin and Raeville.

He offered his last Mass at St. Columbkille on Thursday morning, with the parish's lay people in mind.

All of us, "as we are," are to "forward the Kingdom of God," he said.

Amos the prophet, in the first reading of the Mass for the day,  was "an ordinary lay person" following what God had asked him to do, Father said in his homily. In the Gospel reading, he said, Jesus brought signs of His Kingdom through healing and forgiving.

So  how are we, the lay people of St. Columbkille, supposed to further that Kingdom?

"Our entire role as a Church is to be Christ," Father Vogel said, "to bring Christ to the entire world." While Father has been called to bring Jesus to a new community, we at St. Columbkille are to continue our lives here being Christ for others.

May God bless Father Vogel as he extends the Kingdom of God. And may we embrace our role as Christ bearers.

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.

Goodbye Fr. Vogel

This was Fr. Vogel's last weekend at St. Columbkille. After 5 years here, he will be the new pastor at St. Boniface Parish in Elgin and St. Bonaventure Parish in Raeville. After the noon Mass, the Women's Guild hosted a farewell reception for him. We wish Fr. Vogel well as he serves Christ's people.

Tomorrow we Celebrate the Sacred Heart of Jesus

A reminder, especially for all 2015-16 St. Columbkille students and their families:  Friday, June 3rd, is the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

For the students, going to Mass or adoration would be the perfect way to wrap up a school-year-long devotion of nine First Fridays honoring Jesus' Sacred Heart.

Every first Friday of the month for the nine months of the school year, students attended special all-school Masses, with Father Vogel teaching about the devotion. Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction followed.

For those unfamiliar with the Sacred Heart devotion, or for those who need a reminder, here's a Wikipedia summary: First Friday Devotion - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

An EWTN article explains why the Church endorses this practice:

"In honoring the Heart of Christ, our homage lingers on the Person of Jesus in the fullness of His love. This love of Christ for us was the moving force of all he did and suffered for us -- in Nazareth, on the Cross, in giving Himself in the Blessed Sacrament, in His teaching and healing, in His praying and working. When we speak of the Sacred Heart, we mean Jesus showing us His Heart, Jesus all love for us and all lovable."

Father Vogel's teaching on the Sacred Heart will be one of his lasting legacies at St. Columbkille. Worshiping with him on the solemnity would be a nice way to spend our remaining time with him, before he leaves to become pastor of St. Boniface Parish in Elgin and St. Bonaventure Parish in Raeville.

And perhaps not so coincidentally, the solemnity also marks a World Day of Prayer for the Sanctification of Priests. So let's remember Father Vogel, and all our priests, in prayer Friday.

Because as we all know, prayer -- especially before the Blessed Sacrament -- makes a wonderful going-away gift.

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.

Preparing for the Big Game

Fr. Vogel was among the Omaha Priests working out yesterday to prepare for the Collar Series on Father's Day. The Omaha and Lincoln priests will play each other at Werner Field with the proceeds being split between the respective vocations funds.

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."

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!

Enthroning the Sacred Heart of Jesus

On the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the Sacred Heart of Jesus was enthroned at St. Columbkille Catholic School. All of the students and staff were there for the service.

The Enthronement of the Sacred Heart means the official and social recognition of the loving kingship of the Heart of Jesus in the Christian family. This is done by  solemnly installing an image of the Sacred Heart in a place of honor and dedicating itself to Him by an Act of Consecration. The Enthronement of the Sacred Heart at St. Columbkille is recognition of the living presence of our Lord in our school, where His Divine Heart, as King of Love, is the center of our school family.

Jesus is invited to participate in all activities. He then sanctifies all the details of school life. By the Enthronement and under the influence of the Sacred Heart, each member learns intimacy with Jesus. Either as a class or individually, each will grow in confidence and love with the One who longs for our love. Thus, the gift of the Enthronement is an awareness of His Living Presence in the school and a source of grace and blessings for the school family.

The Enthronement of the Sacred Heart is more than a mere veneration of an image or a transient consecration. It becomes a "way of life", a sharing of hearts, a permanent state of devotion and love.

If you are interested in doing this at your home, please let Fr. Vogel know. This helps a home become a "Domestic Church" - a place where Jesus is loved and where a family will render reparation to the King of Love.

The current 8th grade class, the Class of 2016, donated the image to the school through their Class Challenge. We thank them for that.

Here is the video of the service: