The Times on our new Principal

St. Columbkille names principal

By Mike Bell
Times Staff Writer

Meet the new boss.

St. Columbkille School hired its new principal last April, and he knows he has big shoes to fill.

Jim Makey started his new job this month, and is looking forward to his first year as principal. Makey, of Guthrie Center, Iowa, has been an educator for 33 years. His most recent job was principal at Logan Magnolia Elementary School in Logan, Iowa.

Working at a private Catholic school will be a new experience for him.

“I’ve been in public schools my whole life, so this is a switch for me,” he said.

Read more of the Papillion Times story here.

Adding to Kindergarten

Due to increased enrollment, St. Columbkille Catholic School is in the process of interviewing for a third kindergarten teacher. Because of this, we now have additional openings for kindergartners starting this August.

If you, or someone you know of,  has a child ready to start kindergarten this year, and you're looking for a school with strong Catholic values and good academics, please send an email to: jmakey@saintcolumbkilleschool.org, or call 339-8706. 

We also have a few openings left for 1st graders and 8th graders.

Blessings via Pope Francis

Every day we receive countless blessings from God, but last Friday we got a couple of bonuses, by way of our Holy Father, Pope Francis.

First off, we learned that we will have two new saints to help us to Heaven when Popes John XXIII and John Paul II are canonized, possibly before the end of the year. These popes have led at least two generations by their teaching and example. Soon the Church will be able to spotlight their lives for even more generations.

Secondly, we have a new encyclical, Lumen Fidei  (The Light of Faith). This encyclical was mostly written by Pope Benedict XVI, with Pope Francis adding some of his own touches and releasing it to the faithful. The collaboration highlights the greatness of both men: Pope Benedict's brilliant, deep faith and Pope Francis' profound humility in allowing another pope's unfinished work to become his first encyclical. Some have said that Pope Francis' contributions to the encyclical can be seen in his practical, down-to-earth style in sharing the faith.

Lumen Fidei caps off two previous encyclicals by Pope Benedict. Together they teach us about the divine virtues of faith, hope and love. Lumen Fidei celebrates our current Year of Faith and should top our reading lists. 

I'll admit that when I first learned about the encyclical I was reluctant to begin reading it. I felt obliged to read it but thought I might get bored by a scholarly work. But my homework quickly turned into joyful prayer as I heard God speaking through the words and teaching. Apparently I wasn't the only one to have that experience. One priest-blogger remarked that a portion of chapter three "leaped off the page and into my heart."

I haven't finished reading Lumen Fidei yet. I have decided to continue to savor the encyclical by reading it prayerfully and slowly through lectio divina. I would encourage everyone to be enriched in the same way.

Inspired by this Year of Faith we will be posting columns like this from Susan Szalewski about exploring and/or deepening our faith. Watch for it on Thursdays and see the Year of Faith Blog here.

Planning for the Future - 30 Years Ago

At the end of the 1982-83 academic year, Fr. Steinhausen, Principal Bob Bob Voboril and DRE Mary Schumacker RSCJ put out a 30 page report on the Parish's Educational Programs. They reported on the past and were planning for the future as Fr. Steinhausen wrote, "Our Parish School is second to none in the complete education of your children. Our program for public school children in Religious Education is the envy of every parish in the Archdiocese."

Among the happenings of the year

• 120 children attended Summer Bible School
• Catechist's manuals were written
• 109 candidates were confirmed including three adults from St. Joseph parish
• 110 children received First Communion
• The Home-School Association sponsored an Opening Night Mass and Picnic to begin the 1982-83 school year. Attendance was over 400.
• 5 new record players; 7 tape recorders, and 6 new listening centers were purchased.
• The 2nd annual Science exhibit was held.
• Achievement scores were above the national and Archdiocesan average.
• A math committee spent a year studying math curriculum and textbooks.
• A $2,00 grant was received to implement a physical education program that can be directed by classroom teachers.
• Two school buses served over 90 students daily.
• The student council organized student volunteers to answer the telephone and run errands during the noon hour while the secretary was in the lunch room.
• The annual uniform controversy was resolved when the uniform committee decided all students would be in uniforms. [Not just girls.]
• The student council raised $464 fora new school sign

The school had Revenue of $233,795.61 and Expenditures of $232,783.50 making it 24% of the parish budget. 65% of the expenditures were Salaries and Personnel with the base teacher salary being $8,760. 

In April 1983, the St. Columbkille School Board approved a report entitled St. Columbkille School: 2000. The Year 2000: Guidelines included:

• Sarpy County and the Papillion/La Vista areas in particular will grow at an annual rate exceeding 1%.
• La Vista will grow faster than Papillion through the 80's; Papillion will grow faster from the late 80's on.
• After 1990 Papillion will again make up nearly a majority of the parish population.
• Catholic school teachers will be catechists first.
• Creativity and Problem-Solving will be the thrust of the customized curriculum of the year 2000.
• Infusion of my curriculum with moral values will be a must; not a possability;
• Technology will drastically change the face of education.
• Very likely, the classrooms will be the site of education no more than 50% of the time.
• Schools will have to be as energy conscious as we are labor conscious today.
• Electronic or portable instruction will replace the bus as the bus replaced the boarding school.

An interesting sidenote was that Joe Klassen (as well as Sr. Agnes Marie Glissman) received the Catholic School Service Award. Joe passed away last week and his funeral was yesterday.

Carpeting

 

Carpet in the halls and offices of the Education Center are being removed and replaced with new. It is part of a multi-year plan to update the carpet in the building.

The carpet is being put down in individual squares. This way, if there is a stain or a problem in a year or two, the individual square can be replaced by our maintenance staff.

It Depends on the Lay Faithful

Archbishop Chaput of Philadelphia recently spoke to the National Catholic Register about the role of the laity in defending Religious Liberty. Here are a few of the Archbishops comments in that article:

Religious liberty as an ideal sounds lovely. But in the abstract, it has very little power. It has political force only to the degree that ordinary people believe and practice their faith — and refuse to tolerate anyone or anything interfering with their faith. The current White House has a clear track record of ignoring the traditional American understanding of religious freedom and interfering with the activity of religiously inspired organizations.

If lay Catholics accept that sort of government behavior without inflicting a political cost on the officials responsible for it, then they have no one to blame but themselves when they find that their liberties have gone thin.

In the wake of the abuse scandal, bishops are too easily caricatured and marginalized by the mass media. The religious-freedom fight needs to be owned and led by laypeople.

Laypeople have the freedom and the obligation to actively witness their faith, alone and together with other believers. Obviously, zeal should be accompanied by common sense. That means keeping your local bishop informed and seeking his blessing for any major apostolate.

But the missionary vocation belongs to all of us — clergy, religious and lay — and we should commit ourselves to pursuing it as our circumstances in life permit.

Alessandro Serenelli

Although Alessandro was only 19 years old, he had become addicted to pornography. Wanting to live out his fantasies he attempted to molest an 11 year old girl. As she yelled out, "No Alessandro, it is a sin..." he became enraged and stabbed her 14 times. Although she made it to a hospital and received Communion as Viaticum, she died.

Alessandro was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Although he was aware that Maria, the girl, had forgiven him on her deathbed (even saying she wanted to be in heaven with him) he did not feel remorse. Then he had a dream -- which was surprising in and of itself because Alessandro did not typically dream.

In this vivid dream, the prison walls and bars fells away as his cell became a sunlit garden. full of flowers. He was surprised to see a peasant girl dressed in white since they wear dark colors. Then he realized it was Maria. She was walking among the flowers, smiling and not as all fearful. He wanted to leave but couldn't. Maria picked white lilies and handed them to him saying, "Alessandro, take them!"

One by one he accpted the 14 lilies. As he took them, each lily transformed into a flaming light. There was one lily for each of the times he had stabbed her. Then Maria smilingly said, "Alessandro, as I have promised, your soul shall someday reach me in heaven."

The dream changed him. For the first time he understood the light of God's grace and mercy. From that time on, he looked to reform his life.

Because of his good behavior, he got out of prison after 27 years. For a time he wandered as a farmhand, but them he became a brother in a Capuchin monastery.

Finally, 31 years after the trial, he went to visit Assunta Goretti, Maria's mother. Begging Assunta's forgiveness, she placed her hands on his head, caressed his face and gently said, "Alessandro, Marietta forgave you, Christ has forgiven you, and why should I not also forgive. I forgive you, of course, my son! Why have I not seen you sooner?"

The next morning Assunta, with head held high and tears falling, took Alessandro by the hand and led him to Mass. Side by side they took communion. From that day on he was welcomed into the Goetti family as "Uncle Alessandro."

Assunta and Alessandro were also side by side when St. Maria Goretti was cannonized.

It Shines

The gym floor was completely stripped and waxed. Now it shines and reflects.

Light of the World

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Heavenly Father."

Many people at St. Columbkille remember Father William O'Leary, a Jesuit priest who passed away Monday in Wisconsin. He taught at Creighton Prep for four decades and offered Masses at parishes across the Omaha area, including St. Columbkille.

I had the pleasure of interviewing Father nearly nine years ago for an article in The Omaha World-Herald. The occasion was a surprise party for his 75th birthday. The party had to be a surprise, organizers said, because otherwise Father O'Leary would not have allowed it. He lived humbly, not drawing attention to himself. But in the course of living out his Catholic faith, people noticed him and were drawn to him. In other words, his light shined.

I didn't know Father O'Leary personally, but I was inspired by his simplicity. I learned that when he received gifts, he often gave them away. He is said to have owned just three pairs of pants and three shirts. He drank water without ice and gave what money he had to pay for lunches for underprivileged students or for their families' utility bills. Father didn't travel by airplane; he preferred the bus because it gave him time to minister to fellow passengers and even offer them the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

The light Father O'Leary shared is Jesus, the Light of the World. We, too, are called to let Him radiate through us. May Jesus, our Perpetual Light, shine on Father O'Leary and all the souls of the departed.

Inspired by this Year of Faith we will be posting columns like this from Susan Szalewski about exploring and/or deepening our faith. Watch for it on Thursdays and see the Year of Faith Blog here.

Fireworks are Ready to Explode

Get your fireworks from the St Columbkille Shepherds.

Early this evening there will be a drawing

 for the winner of a fireworks package.

 Now you can watch on the screen to

see what your fireworks will look like.

As always, all of the money raised by the Shepherds is given to groups in our community.