Our new Associate Pastor will be ...

... Fr. Kevin Vogel.

He will be newly ordained for the Omaha Archdiocese on Saturday, June 4th. St. Columbkille will be his first assignment. Fr. Damian has spoken with him and looks forward to his arrival at St. Columbkille effective June 23rd.

Our soon to be Fr. Vogel grew up on a farm near Howells, NE as a member of Ss. Peter and Paul parish. He attended Howells Community Catholic Schools, Howells High School, and the University of Nebraska at Kearney, receiving a BS degree in Physics. He studied pre-theology at Conception Seminary College then theology at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, MO. He has one older sister and three younger siblings.

We look forward to welcoming

 Fr. Vogel to our parish.

Welcoming the Roman Missal

A few weeks ago about 120 of our parishioners gathered to learn about the upcoming changes in the Roman Missal. David Batter and Fr. Damian led the explanation of what is changing and why.

If you missed it, we have the handouts and a number of

the videos used here on our parish website.

Eighth Grade & Mass with the Archbishop

Today was the last day of school for our 8th grade students. So today we look back at their visit to the Cathedral during Catholic Schools week when they met Archbishop Lucas.

 

 

 

At the Zoo

Since the start of the school year, Kindergarten and 7th grade students have been paired up as Mass buddies and sit together at all-school Masses each week. Today they went to the zoo together.

 

Groups are put together of the Mass buddies. The 7th Grade students plan where they will visit in the zoo, carry their buddy's lunch and stay with them all day.

 

 

 It was the perfect weather today.

 

 Everyone enjoyed it.

Field Day

Opening ceremonies for Field Day include prayer,

the pledge of allegience, and a torch carrier.

For grades K-5, Field Day is run by the 8th grade

students. They run the activities and shepherd

groups of students between activities.

 

 

 

 The Students in grades 6 & 7 had their own activities.

 It was all fun.

Server Awards

Archbishop Lucas gave awards to some of our servers.

Congratulations!

Man and Woman of the Year

Daniel J Gross High School annually awards two

 seniors as "Man of the Year" and "Woman of the Year."

This year they are both St. Columbkille

parishioners who attended our school.

 Congratulations to David Cordwin and Amanda Urbanski!

We congratulate all of our parishioners who will

graduate from Gross on Monday, May 23rd.

What happened in Austria

At the end of World War II, the allies turned Catholic Austria over to the Russians. The Austrians wanted the Soviets out of their country. But what could Austria do: seven million against 220 million?

Fr. Pater Petrus, remembered Don John of Austria. Outnumbered three to one, Don John led the Papal, Venetian, and Spanish ships against the Turks at Lepanto, and through the power of the rosary miraculously defeated them. So Fr. Petrus called for a rosary crusade against the Soviets. He asked for a tithe: that ten percent of the Austrians, 700,000, would pledge to say the rosary daily for the Soviets to leave their country. 700,000 pledged.

For seven years the Austrians prayed the rosary. Then, on May 13 1955, the anniversary of the apparition at Fatima, the Soviets mysteriously just packed up and peacefully left. Military strategists and historians were baffled. Why would the Communists pull out? Austria is a strategically located country, a door to the West, rich in mineral deposits and oil reserves?

Our Lady's rosary did what the Hungarian Freedom Fighters could not do with a bloodbath of 25,000 people. John Cortes, brilliant writer and diplomat of the 19th century wrote: "Those who pray do more for the world than those who fight. If the world is going from bad to worse, it is because there are more battles than prayers."

Sacred Heart Preschool Graduation

Today our preschool students gathered with our friends ...

 ... and lined up for our graduation.

We even got to sing in front of our family and friends.

It was a lot of fun.

Congratulations Graduates!

Happy National School Nurse Day

Today we celebrate the sixth year that Mrs. Laney has been at St. Columbkille Catholic School. It is a blessing to have her at the school and taking care of our students.

Mrs. Laney isn't an employee of the school, but of Alegent Health. As a generous service to the community they provide some nurses on a part time basis to St. Columbkille and some other parochial schools as well.

Thank you Mrs. Laney & Alegent!