Healthy Clergy Week

Governor Dave Heineman has proclaimed October 12-18 as Healthy Clergy Week. Our priests received "Healthy Care Packages" which included a gym bag, memory foam pillow (because good sleep is essential for good health), snacks, ear buds, iTunes card, and a water bottle. (Father Damian also received a Fit Bit, so be sure to ask him how it is working for him.) Our deacons all received a card and a healthy snack.

The parish nurses pray for our priests and deacon's health that God may bless with you all with good health of body, mind, and spirit. Remind our clergy that their health is important to them as well as all the Parishioners of St Columbkille.

Thank you for all that you do!

Celebrating some deacons

Archbishops George Lucas and Eldon Curtiss were on hand as the diaconate community of the Omaha Archdiocese celebrated deacons who had hit milestone years of service to the diocese. The picture above is of those who were ordained 10 years ago, including Deacon Mike Leick who was ordained in our parish.

 Also honored for 10 years were two couples still serving

 our parish, Deacon John Zurek and his wife Connie ...

... as well as Deacon Bill Hill and his wife Kathy.

Congratulations and

thank you for your service

Clergy Retreat

This weekend our parish's clergy gathered at the St. Benedict 

Retreat Center for their annual retreat together.

Fr. Damian led the retreat which considered lessons from St. Francis. In particular they looked at qualities St. Francis displayed in his life such as Solitude, Humility, Prayer, Chastity, Community, Compassion and Service.

It was also a chance for them to pray together, eat

together and connect more with one another.

The clergy have been meeting since the St. Benedict Center was built. The Retreat Center is on the bluff north of Schuyler and is surrounded by farmland. It has been a tradition for them to walk around the section together. They were fortunate that it was a little cooler on Saturday for the walk.

All of us need to "retreat" to God and recharge.

Deacon Lieck

In the picture above from May 25, 1997, then Principal Christine Overkamp is breaking ground for an addition to St. Columbkille Catholic School as Fr. Stillmunks watches. One of the observers is then HSA President Mike Lieck.

In 2002 Mr Lieck was ordained Deacon Lieck. Archbishop Lucas has recently assigned Deacon Lieck to serve at St. Pius X Parish. We wish him well as he continues his service to the Church.

Clergy Retreat

Last weekend Fr Wee and our 12 deacons gathered at the Benedictine

Center in Schuyler. It was a time for them to gather, pray and

spend time together as they seek to grow in Christ.

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.