Principal Bob Voboril

One week ago today Fr. Damian and Dcn David were in Wichita for their Stewardship Conference. One of the presenters was Bob Voboril who is their Superintendent of Catholic Schools. From 1980 to 1990 he was our principal.

They presented him with this picture which he is in. His immediate response was, "This was taking in 1983" and he began naming staff members. He visited at length about memories of the school and the parish.It even became part of his presentation.

Deacon David told him, "In 2016 you should come to to celebrate 100 years of the school."

Mr. Voboril responded, "You'll have to invite me."

Living Stations of the Cross

The Ulitmate Evil

Sometimes we take for granted words and concepts we've known and grown accustomed to.

We hear the words, but they no longer have meaning for us.

One such word for me is "sin."

Blessed John Henry Newman set me straight, though. I found his thoughts on sin in a meditation in the prayer publication Magnificat and was jolted back to reality.

The saint noted all the evils he saw in the world: war, famine, sickness, death. They bring about immense, indescribable suffering, yet they are nothing compared with sin, he said. They are mere fruits of sin, he wrote, effects of sin, "shadows of it, but nothing more."

Sin itself is far worse. "All these dreadful pains of body and soul are the fruits of sin, but they are nothing to its punishment in the world to come," the saint wrote. "The keenest and fiercest of bodily pains is nothing to the fire of hell; the most dire horror or anxiety is nothing to the never-dying worm of conscience; the greatest bereavement, loss of substance, desertion of friends, and forlorn desolation is nothing compared to the loss of God's countenance. Eternal punishment is the only true measure of the guilt of sin."

The famous preacher helped me realize the horror that Jesus saved us from, perhaps why He had to suffer so much on our behalf and why we should hate sin and be moved to tears by it.

Sin is real, the ultimate evil. But another Magnificat reading reminded me of our victory over sin in Christ. God "is more powerful even than that most terrifying of enemies, death, which prowls the world seeking to devour all the living. Life, not death, has the last word."

We have an opportunity to receive God's life-giving forgiveness and grace tonight at a 7 p.m. reconciliation service, part of the parish's mission week.

Let's pray with Blessed John Henry Newman, asking God to teach us what sin is. "And, not only teach me about it, but in Your mercy and by Your grace, remove it."

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.

From the Mission

"God is big enough to handle when we are doubting or disobedient. The great mercy of God allows us to call out 'Help me past my unbelief,' or 'Help me past my time of doubt,' or just 'Help me!'"

Julie Carrick

The mission continues tonight at 7 p.m.

Parish Mission

Our Parish Lenten Mission with Julie Carrick is tonight through Thursday at 7 p.m.

The Principal's Message

Every week Mr. Makey has been writing a column on the St. Columbkille Catholic School website giving his perspective as the principal. This week he writes about the process he is in right now of hiring teachers for the new year.

Here's some of what he says:

Some of you have probably heard that we are hiring some new teachers for next year. We have had a couple of people retire and one person is moving away. I thought you might like to know a little bit about the process I like to use when hiring new teachers.

First of all, I consider it one of the most important parts of my job. A good teacher is worth his or her weight in gold. This is the person with whom your child spends the majority of his or her day. This is the person who has the biggest impact on your child’s education. So, what is my process? How do I like to conduct the hiring process?

For the rest (or to see previous messages) click here

Helping Heartland Family Services

The National Junior Honor Society at St. Columbkille Catholic School raised funds and presented a check to Donna Dostal of Heartland Family Services to help them in their work.

Crazy Ciara

We had a scare this week with our family's dog, Ciara (pronounced keera).

This week, on her 1-year birthday (fittingly on April Fool's Day), she found a fish hook.

My son, Paul, 10, discovered fishing line coming out of her mouth and tried to remove it. But after gently tugging the line, he knew there was a hook at the other end. I got a phone call from his older sister Mary. They feared she swallowed the hook.

My husband, Tim, had to leave work to take Ciara to the veterinarian. Luckily, the hook was just stuck in her lip. The veterinary staff had to sedate her, though, to safely cut the barb.

I picked her up about an hour later, after the sedation wore off. A woman at the front desk was telling me Ciara still might be groggy, when the dog bounded through a doorway, pulling another employee at the other end of the leash. I laughed with the lady at the front desk. So much for being groggy.

"Whoa, she's crazy," said the woman holding Ciara's leash.

Crazy, the perfect word for Ciara, I thought. We've used other words for her, too, including quirky and sassy. The veterinarian, when he first met her at 8 weeks of age, called her "strong-willed."

More than one person in our family has suggested Ciara might not be a dog at all but an alien from outer space. We're not exactly sure if she loves us or wants to kill us when she suffocates us with kisses or nearly knocks us down stairs when she greets us. Sometimes she approaches with soft, loving eyes; other times she stares at us like prey.

We're not sure what breeds of dog her parents were. But just by looking at Ciara, you can tell she's a crazy mix.

First and foremost, her ears stand out. They're huge, both pointing upward and flopping down. Her tail is a curly, wagging whip. Even her coat is slightly mixed up, mostly dark black but with brown undertones.

Ciara is neither big nor small, but something in between. On one hand, she's long-legged and sleek, but on the other hand, boxy and muscular. Two words from Psalm 122 describe the city of Jerusalem but also remind me of Ciara: "strongly compact."

Blessed John Paul II (soon to be St. John Paul II) developed a "Theology of the Body," which says our physical human bodies convey deeper spiritual truths about us. Similarly, I think Ciara's body says something deeper about her, and it screams: I'm unconventional.

Her name, too, is a little unusual, the result of being part of a big family. Everyone wanted something different for her name. One person wanted a contemporary-sounding name, another asked for a saint's name. One person wanted a name that described the dog's appearance, another asked for a one- or two-syllable name that would be practical for training.

Rita, Bonnie and other names were soundly rejected. But our daughter Rose, 15, started glancing at names online and found Ciara, the feminine form of Ciaran, the name of two major Irish saints, which means "black," the color of our dog.

We found a name that fit everyone's demands, and we liked it. The name suited our dog. But we liked it even more when we later learned that one of the St. Ciarans was a friend of St. Columbkille. Perfect, we thought. The name even linked to our parish.

A year ago, our family had been hesitant to adopt another dog. We had recently lost two beloved pets in a short span and didn't want another heartache. We kind of enjoyed being free of pet problems, costs and messes for a while.

But deep down, I think, we all yearned for a dog. Even me, knowing that as a mother most of the feeding, cleaning, walking and caring for the dog would fall on me. Despite living in a house with nine other people, I missed the companionship of a dog, a friend to go on long walks with at any hour of the day.

I said a little prayer to God, telling him of my mixed feelings about another pet, yet still having that longing. Ultimately, I left it up to Him . . . "if it be Your will."

And the very next morning our family met Ciara at a family picnic at Halleck Park. My niece brought along three puppies, hoping to find homes for two. I saw the puppies and immediately knew God answered my prayer. Later I learned I wasn't the only family member praying for a pet.

One year later, we have crazy Ciara trying to chew fishing line. We love her, she's the answer to our prayers, and perhaps the epitome of the saying: "Be careful what you pray for."

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.

Visiting with Santa Eulalia

Santa Eulalia in the Huehuetenango diocese of Guatemala is the sister school of St. Columbkille Catholic School.

Through Ixim, Mrs. Dethlefs was able to visit Santa Eulalia.

 When she was there, the students gathered together ...

 ... did some presentations ...

 ... and gave some gifts.

She enjoyed her trip.

Monday there was a chance to reciprocate the trip as Padre Maco and Jandy visited from Guatemala as part of the Ixim leadership team. It is the Ixim team which organizes the "sister" relationships between schools in the Huehuetenango diocese in Guatemala and the Omaha Archdiocese. They were in town for a series of meetings between the dioceses to see how each can learn from the other and improve their relationship.

 Our students gathered together.

 Each grade had a presentation ...

 ... and gifts were given.

We also received a packet of letters

 from Santa Eulalia students.

Padre Maco and Jandy were able to visit our classrooms.

It was delightful to have them here. Mr. Makey and Jandy discussed how they may be able to skype to keep in better touch. We look forward to many future visits -- in both countries.

Fr Vogel's New Home

Inspired by Pope Francis and in solidarity with the poor, Fr. Vogel has decided to move into a tent.

Fr. Damian has given Fr. Vogel permission to set up a tent and live on the vacant lot the parish owns on 84th street -- behind the house most associates have chosen to live in.

"Fr. Damian was a little hesitant at first," Fr Vogel explained, "but I pointed out that there is a shower in the Parish Office that I can use and with the remodel of the Steinhausen Center maybe a small refrigerator could be set up for me to keep a few food items. Fr. Damian did suggest that I not make the move until a port-a-potty can be set up. It is a luxury that the homeless don't have, but he convinced me I should make use of one so I'll wait for that to arrive."

While this may seem like something sudden, it is something they have been discussing for quite some time. Since Christmas Fr. Vogel has been sleeping on the floor of his home to help make the adjustment and has been eating simple foods that could be eaten raw or grilled.

If you're wondering about the home Fr. Vogel has been living in, he thinks it could be torn down to expand parking. While Fr Damian says that is a possibility, he thinks we should make certain Fr Vogel doesn't change his mind after a few months. He also pointed out that the next associate may want to sleep in a bed.

Fr. Vogel says he won't need much help moving although some tips from the boy scouts may come in handy. The move date just depends on how quickly the port-a-potty arrives.

For any more information please see today's date.