Making Christmas Bright

During the Advent Festival, our Religious Formation students made over 100 Christmas Cards which were delivered to residents at the Papillion Manor.

Students also donated many items  for the 

Child Saving Institute as our RE families 

were incredibly generous.

The folks at the Child Saving Institute were ecstatic to receive an abundance of items which they need throughout the year. They had at least 10 people come to help unload.

The event was even covered by the Catholic Voice on their website.

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.

Parish Sister Sets

The Catholic Voices recently did a story on three sets of sisters in our parish. David Gouger's article begins:

Many adult siblings remain members of parishes they grew up in, building on the family faith foundation with their spouses and children. But at St. Columbkille Parish in Papillion, at least three sets of sisters have moved into the parish, keeping their extended families together while embracing a new faith community.

The three Caveye, three Gunia and five Novotny sisters say they enjoy St. Columbkille's active and vibrant parish and school and are grateful that as fellow parishioners they can maintain close relationships with their siblings and families.

Read more here.

Police chaplains help officers, victims of crime

Deacon John Zurek was interviewed as part of an article Joe Ruff wrote for the The Catholic Voice on Police Chaplains as the issue also looked at how "Police officers turn to God in stressful job." Here is part of that article:

Police officers have to be tough, decisive and in control.

But they face difficult emotional situations that can challenge their ability to do their job, such as telling family members a loved one has been killed or investigating the death of a child who is the same age as their own daughter or son.

That is where police chaplains can help.

Chaplains ease the burden on officers by helping them deliver hard news to the families of victims, spending time with those families on the religious and emotional aspects of tragedy - and being available for the officers themselves, said Deacon John Zurek of St. Columbkille Parish in Papillion.

"Our primary goal is to take care of the officers," said Deacon Zurek, who is a chaplain with the Sarpy County Sheriff's Office and the Bellevue police and fire departments. "They're supposed to be macho, nothing can hurt them. But I've had a 6-foot-2 deputy in the field, crying."
 
Click here for the story at The Catholic Voice

Religious Formation Program Featured

St. Columbkille is the only parish in the diocese to offer Religious Formation as a summer only alternative. The program was recently featured in the Archdiocesan Newspaper, The Catholic Voice. You can see the article here.

Seminarians get Quilts

From The Catholic Voice: