New Fencing

In our Pave the Way project, the last portion of our first phase was to put up fencing which will allow our neighbors some privacy. But the first part was removing the brush in the area. We were blessed that Jack Medford donated his services to get that work done.

At first we looking at plastic fencing, but soon discovered that wood fences have less long term maintenance. So those went in.

It's some nice looking fence.

O Lord, Draw Me

“Draw me” was a simple prayer of St. Therese of Liseux.

She had a knack for seeing the deep mysteries of our faith in down-to-earth simplicity. And this prayer is just one example. In two words she expressed her desire to be completely united in love to Christ – and to include everyone she prayed for in that union. She explains the prayer in her autobiography, “The Story of a Soul.”

In praying for others, she recognized that “the days would be too short to ask in detail for the needs of each soul and I am afraid I might forget something important. Complicated methods are not for simple souls and, as I am one of these Our Lord Himself has inspired me with a very simple way of fulfilling my obligations.

“One day, after Holy Communion, He made me understand these words of Solomon:
‘Draw me: we will run after Thee to the odour of Thy ointments.’ (Cant. 1: 3.)

“O my Jesus, there is no need then to say: In drawing me, draw also the souls that I love. The words ‘Draw me’ suffice. When a soul has been captivated by the odour of Thy perfumes she cannot run alone; as a natural consequence of her attraction towards Thee, all those whom she loves are drawn in her train.

"Just as a torrent carries into the depths of the sea all that it meets on its way, so, my Jesus, does the soul who plunges into the shoreless ocean of Thy Love bring with it all its treasures. My treasures are the souls it has pleased Thee to unite with mine. . . ."

“In asking to be drawn, we seek an intimate union with the object that has led our heart captive. If iron and fire were endowed with reason, and the iron could say, ‘Draw me!’ would this not prove its wish to be identified with the fire to the point of sharing its substance? Well, such is precisely my prayer. I ask Jesus to draw me into the fire of His Love, and to unite me so closely to Himself that He may live and act in me. “I feel that the more the fire of love consumes my heart, the more frequently shall I cry, ‘Draw me!’ and the more also will those souls who come in contact with mine run swiftly in the sweet odour of the Beloved.”

What a simple and ingenious prayer.

St. Therese, pray for us!
O Lord, draw me!

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.

Who Were the Crusaders?

The mascot for St. Columbkille Athletics as well as St. Columbkille Catholic School is the Crusaders.

But who were the crusaders? Why in the world would we want to emulate crusaders? Fr. Kevin Vogel takes up those questions as we can separate the facts of the crusades from the fiction.

Go Crusaders!

Some FOCUS Visits

Just before the end of the school year, two of our FOCUS missionaries were able to visit the classrooms who prayed for them throughout Lent. Here David Cargill poses with Miss Fast and the students of KC.

They each had a chance to show him the card they made for him. They alo asked him some questions like, "How do you save the world?"

His answer: "A lot of love and a lot of prayer."

Before he left, they prayed together.

He also visited class 7A. With them, he spoke of how he decided to become a FOCUS missionary and what that has been like for him. 

Rob Cargill was also able to visit the classes which had been praying for him. First he got to check out the students of 6A.

He got to see that both classes had 8 x 10 pictures of him on the wall to remind them to pray for him.

He also got to visit KB to meet the students and was delighted by the cards they made for him.

Along with Shannon Zurcher, Rob and David will be speaking at all of the Masses this weekend. They'll update us on their work and give thanks for our support. It will also be a chance to start supporting a missionary if you aren't already.

After the 5 p.m. Mass, they will head to the ball-fields for the Fiesta with Fr. Dave.

Fiesta with Fr Dave

A popular buy-in at Ceili each year has been the Picnic with the Priests. In the past this has been done in the pastor's backyard, but since the ground around Fr Dave's yard is so hole-y, we're holding it at the athletic fields on Sunday, July 19th from 4:00 to 8:00. (In the Social Hall if it rains)

This is a Fiesta for everyone, families, couples and singles! Enjoy an evening of family fun with our new pastor. Our fiesta picnic will have you enjoying tacos, salads, desserts, beer, pop and all the fixin’s. This is a fun outdoor social event for the entire family!

You can register for the fun here anytime through Thursday night.

Tearing Down the Parish Office

Yesterday the parish office was torn down. The original plan was to tear down the building before out current church was built. But because we didn't have the money to build a new rectory, it was moved a turned north of the church. It first housed priests like Fr. Steinhausen and Fr Pat Henry. Now, over 30 years later, it is time to transition the space into parking.

It was great to have Papillion Sanitation on hand hauling the debris away as it was loaded.

Bob Roth has been overseeing this event. Bob said that one of the first projects he was a part of was tearing down houses in Omaha so I-480 could be built. He said he got so he could tear down five houses in one day -- though they were smaller than this one.

Coffee with Fr. Dave

After the 8:15 Mass yesterday, everyone had a chance to join Fr. Dave for some coffee and conversation.

We're currently scheduled for three more of these informal sessions: Monday after the 5:30 p.m. Mass, Thursday after the 8:15 Mass, and Monday the 20th after the 5:30 Mass.

Previewing the Late Night Catechism

This afternoon Fr. Dave got together with Sister to learn more about the Late Night Catechism Show on Saturday. The 7:30 show benefits the St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. Columbkille Parish. Although the show is at the Omaha Community Playhouse, tickets are only available from St. Columbkille Parish.

It's Patriotic

If you are a Catholic in the Archdiocese of Omaha, there’s a good chance you know Steve Zach.

Steve can be found at most Catholic events, and he’s not afraid to approach people, introduce himself and talk about whatever Catholic cause he happens to be promoting at the time. He seems to know everyone, including most priests and religious.

Steve found me today after a weekday Mass at St. Cecilia Cathedral. He told me about how he’s been trying to get his letters to the editor published on the issue of same-sex marriage. That effort took 12 calls to one editor, he said.

He looked at me intently and said: “You don’t know me, Susan. I’m a fighter.”

Thank God for Steve Zach – and others like him who are willing to fight for what they cherish. It takes determination, persistence and sacrifice, as Steve described. And sometimes sweat and blood, as history has shown.

As we approach Independence Day and continue our Fortnight for Freedom, let’s remember to be like Steve and fight for our beliefs.

And pray.

It’s the patriotic thing to do.

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.

Farewell Fr Damian

A phrase from Today's Gospel is "they begged him to leave."

There was no begging for Fr. Damian to leave St. Columbkille. Here is Fr. Damian's homily from this morning:

Although Fr. Dave was at Mass, he chose to observe rather than concelebrate. He said he wanted to "watch the master" and see how we have typically done things here.

There were farewells and hellos. Afterwards, Fr. Damian picked up his alb and his chalice and wished Fr. Dave well.

Fr. Dave said, "A lot of people will miss Fr. Damian, but no one will miss him as much as me."