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.

Missionary Allison Dethlefs

Above is a picture of Allison with her missionary parents and brother in Honduras when she was 5 years old. She says that  now she is ready to enter, "what for me has felt like a lifelong call to overseas mission."

After three months of training, Allison was commissioned as a missionary Franciscan. On January she will go to Cochabamba, Bolivia where she will spend at least two year working and living in community with the marginalized and oppressed in the spirit of Christ's love and call to mission and encounter.

You can read about her here. She will be making some blog entries like this one.

Allison says, "During this Advent season, I invite you to join me on this journey and fulfill your own baptismal call to mission as individuals and as a parish. I humbly request your prayers and encouragement and, if possible, your financial support."

Unfortunately Allison's email didn't come through her letter on the back of the bulletin this weekend, but you can email her here.

American Heritage Girls

We're proud to be the first Catholic parish in the Archdiocese to have an American Heritage Girls Troop. The Omaha Catholic Voice thought it was such a cool thing that they wrote an article about it.

Franciscan Missionary Service

One of our parishioners, Allison Dethlefs, is one of six women being commissioned today as a lay missionary as part of Franciscan Missionary Service. The Mass, celebrated by Fr. Paul Dressler, OFM Cap.,  is at 3:30 p.m. Please keep Allison and the other missionaries in your prayers.

Before Allison goes oversea, she will visit us on Sunday, December 6th and tell us about her upcoming adventure.

Front Page

Some of the sixth grade students from St. Columbkille Catholic School are on the front page of the Papillion Times today. It mentions the service our sixth and third grade students did just before the Christmas break.

Being Good Neighbors

Motivated to serve as well as to thank neighbors, some families from St. Columbkille Catholic School raked lawns for some of our neighbors last week.

 Thank you for your service!

Socktober is Finishing Up

Every night in the United States an estimated 600,000 people live on the streets. This October, people can prove that even the smallest acts of love, like donating a pair of socks, can make a big difference in the lives of our neighbors who are homeless.

The second grade classed have been participating in Socktober and, so far, have collected over 500 pairs of socks with more coming in during the Parent-Teacher Conferences.

Entering into Struggles and Challenges

Several weeks ago a large spider made his home outside a window just inches from my desk at work.

I’ve continued to do my work inside the window, while the spider has done his outside, every work day, within my view. The spider’s work, of course, is grisly. And his white, lint-like web is large, messy and unsightly. But there’s not much I can do about the spider, or the view, because the window doesn’t open.

At first I thought about just keeping the blinds closed. I don’t mind spiders, but I didn’t want the up-close, all-day show. I quickly dismissed that idea, though, because I wanted sunlight and a glimpse outside.

The same window gives me a view of the wider world, too, including an apartment building across the street, where life also is busy, messy – and sometimes not-so-peaceful. People come and go, cars honk, visitors rap on windows, children run and yell. Occasionally personal arguments spill from the apartments into the street, and occasionally police follow the residents inside.

I’ve thought about closing the blinds to this view, too. It seems none of my business, and it’s not pleasant to watch. But again I resisted because I need the sunlight and the connection to the outside world.

All the things I’ve witnessed through the window remind me of something a priest recently said. I’d been talking to him about his work in a poor neighborhood, and he said that Catholics needed to be there, entering into the struggles and challenges – bringing Christ into messy, unsightly, unpleasant lives.

The priest’s message doesn’t apply exclusively to people serving in poor neighborhoods. Catholics everywhere, in all vocations, interact with and care for others in all their messy physical, emotional and spiritual needs.

The people we love and serve pull us into the webs they're stuck in. Especially when they suffer, whether from illness, injury, addictions, or self-inflicted problems brought on by bad choices or sin. We could close the blinds on their problems. We could watch from behind a window.

But no, according to the priest’s wisdom, we need to be there for them, bringing Jesus’ peace and presence. We might not have solutions for their problems. Maybe God alone can open the window and clean up the mess – and all we can do is watch – and pray.

But we shouldn’t close the blinds. We need His light and His view for our untidy, unsettled world. In fact, we might need Him more than those we try to serve.

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.

An AKT of Kindness

Acts of Kindness Through Service (A.K.T.S.) is a student led leadership and service club of 7th and 8th graders at St. Columbkille Catholic School.

Last Friday after school, members of A.K.T.S. got

 together with members of the National Junior Honor

 Society to make 20 blankets for the Linus Project.

These blankets will be given to sick or hurt children.

 Thank you for helping others!

Family Friendly Service Opportunity

Tomorrow (Thursday) night at 7:00 p.m. we're looking for help in the Steinhausen Center to help stuff envelopes for the parish raffle. This is a kid friendly activity as we can use your help! Feel free to stop in.

The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin

Mary discovered from the angel Gabriel that she would have a child who would be the Messiah. So what does she do next? Today's Gospel tell us that she went "in haste" to her relative Elizabeth who was pregnant and stayed with her for about three months.

It is a good lesson for us to serve those in need around us.

Serving to the End

In our 2009-10 Annual Report we showed the picture above of Mary Burns who had turned 95 on Christmas Day 2009. Over the year she had knitted 90 stocking caps to give to those in need.

After being actively involved in the parish for so long, Mary was initially saddened by going into a nursing home because she saw it as the end of her service. She came to realize that her methods of service just needed to change. Her new service included making certain everyone was gathered for Communion Services in her nursing home and reaching out to those around her.

Mary passed away last night. Her funeral will be Monday. Eternal Rest grant unto her O Lord.

Treat N Praying?

In their Halloween costumes, the 5th grade

students from St. Columbkille Catholic

School visited Papillion Manor.

They had a good walk getting there.

 

Students each brought a prayer...

 ... which they gave to a resident.

That includes Claire who is 107 years old.

Besides meeting the residents ...

 ... the students also received candy.

One of the residents said that her three children attended our school. Today she says one is a lawyer, another is a scientist and the third works for the government. She says that their education at (then called) Sacred Heart Academy served them well. She prays that our students get the same great education.

Thank you Papillion

Manor for having us!