Smells & Bells

What is incense for? Why don’t I still hear bells at Mass? Is Purgatory still in vogue? Should I genuflect when I enter a Catholic Church? Is confession really important? Should Nebraska be ranked #1? Is Limbo a dance or a place? Can Baptists use Holy Water or will it burn their skin? When incense is used at Mass, may I request a nonsmoking section? Is Catholic Heaven different from Protestant Heaven? Will Jews, Muslims or Texas Longhorn fans go to heaven? What are the seven Sacraments all about? Should Catholics read the Bible? Are Catholics Christian? Where & when did the Catholic Church begin?

You’re invited to learn the answers to these and other questions regarding the Catholic faith. This brief session is ideal for anyone who is Catholic and wants an quick update, anyone that is married to a Catholic and wants to understand what their partner believes, or anyone that just wants to know what the Catholic Church is all about.

This basic overview of the Catholic Faith called Smells and Bells, will be presented on Thursday, August 27, at 7:00 p.m. as part of our Faith Enhancement Program. This 50-minute presentation will take place in the church, and will be followed by potluck social with snacks and hors d’oeuvres in the Steinhausen Center. Participants are asked to bring a little something to share.

If not totally satisfied with this Catholic Update you will receive double your money back. Admission price – FREE! This may answer every question you ever had, or you may then be interested in participating in a Catholic Inquiry known as the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA) which explores the Catholic faith in more depth. RCIA classes will begin after Labor Day.

Catholics and non-Catholics are welcome.

Welcome to the Church

Soup & Stations & Stations & Stations

 Monday and Wednesday was Soup and Stations

 for our families in Religious Formation.

 Families first gathered to together for a meal ...

... then they moved upstairs to pray 

the Stations of the Cross together.

 But they aren't the only groups 

to be praying with the stations.

 Tuesday night those in RCIA 

prayed the Stations together.

Fr. Vogel has been leading school groups in them as well.

Tonight at 6 p.m. we will have 

Stations of the Cross in the church.

But feel free to just stop by sometime

 and pray -- just you and the Stations.

Rite of Election

Sunday was the Rite of Election at St. Cecilia Cathedral. It is a time where Archbishop Lucas gets to meet those who are preparing to enter the Church at the Easter Vigil and their sponsors.

At our parish, 28 people plan to join the Church at our Easter Vigil. Of those, 12 children and three adults will be baptized/

Below is a picture of the three adults to be 

baptized signing the Book of the Elect.

Please keep in prayer all of those who are preparing to enter the Church this year.

Easter Vigil

The Easter Vigil begins in the courtyard.

There the Easter candle which will be used throughout

the Easter season, baptisms, and funerals is blessed and lit.

 

That light is brought into the church as

the service continues in candlelight.

 

The lights come on as we celebrate that Christ has risen.

Within this celebration of His rising, new members are

baptized, confirmed and received into the Church.

The Rite of Election

Last Sunday was the Rite of Election for the Omaha Archdiocese. Twice in the day the Cathedral is filled with all of those who will be entering the Church this year. Archbishop George Lucas greets each of them as they go through the final stages preparing to enter the Church at the Easter Vigil.

Here we have pictures of some of our Candidates meeting the Archbishop:

 

 

 

 

 

Candidates & Catechumens

At the 9:00 Mass yesterday 13 people became RCIA Candidates or Catechumens. They will gather each Tuesday night to study the faith and will appreciate your faith. God willing they will enter the Church at the Easter Vigil in 2011. They are:

Muriel Conway

Eric Devlin

Michelle Diaz

Chris Fowler

Mark Goodwin

Cindy Hansen

Anita Hou

Alvin Jankowski

Crista Lantz

Joe Pedevillano

Jon Schaefer

Deanna Schlautman

Jason Spencer

Please keep them in your prayers.

Rite of Election

The Easter Vigil is the liturgical highlight of the year. At this Mass new members are baptized, receive First Communion and/or are confimed into the Church, depending on their circumstances. On March 1st, a number of people who will be entering the Church at St. Columbkille gathered at the Cathedral and were welcomed by Archbishop Curtis. A few of them are pictured above.