Valentine's Day Parties: Part 1

With no school today (Parent-Teacher Conferences), the students at St. Columbkille Catholic School had their Valentine's Day Parties on Wednesday. The students greatly appreciated the room parents who planned and led the celebrations.

When a Kindergarten class played telephone, "Happy Valentine's Day" changed to "I love Valentine's Day."

Valentine's Boxes

The Fourth Grade students at St. ColumbkilleCatholic School unleashed their creativity as they created their mailboxes for Valentine's Day.

Another Side to Love

On St. Valentine's Day we honor our loved ones with cards, flowers and candy and everything pretty and sweet.

But as Christians we know there is another side to love, one that is painful, bitter and ugly by outward appearances. It is the image of our crucified Lord, the true face of love. We heard about this love in last Sunday's Mass readings: "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified," St. Paul wrote to the Corinthians.

Couples and others would recognize this love. It's the love that allows a person to keep loving an unfaithful spouse, to suffer through pain and death with a loved one, to love someone when they're unreasonable and so hard to love. It is indeed Christ's love for us, His spouse. 

"I distrust a charity that costs nothing and does not hurt," Pope Francis wrote in his Lenten message for us, because he knows real love requires sacrifice. God's entire plan for our salvation rests on this notion of love.

"God’s becoming man is a great mystery!" the pope wrote. "But the reason for all this is His love, a love which is grace, generosity, a desire to draw near, a love which does not hesitate to offer itself in sacrifice for the beloved. Charity, love, is sharing with the one we love in all things. Love makes us similar, it creates equality, it breaks down walls and eliminates distances. God did this with us."

Please spoil your loved ones today with all kinds of sweetness and beauty -- and love them every day the way Christ loved us. Remember the real St. Valentine, a priest and martyr who followed Love to the cross.

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.

Working for the Archdiocese

The Archdiocese of Omaha has hired  their new director of administrative services and it is one of our parishioners, James Stoltze.Stolze replaces H. Lee Karrer, who is set to retire March 31, after serving as director of the division for 20 years.

“Jim brings to the table both a vast experience of business and finance, as well as a deep understanding of the archdiocese due to his many years of involvement as a volunteer on various archdiocesan committees and boards,” said the Rev. Joseph C. Taphorn, the archdiocese’s moderator of the curia. “He’s a great fit for this post and is eager to serve the Church full-time. I look forward to working closely with him to advance the mission of the Church.”

Stolze, 52, holds a Master of Economics degree and Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. His undergraduate business degree is from the University of Iowa.
In his role, Stolze will provide oversight and management of the division’s 33 employees and archdiocesan finances and properties. He will be charged with developing and implementing financial and business policies for the archdiocese. In addition to acting as a key advisor to Archbishop George J. Lucas, he will advise archdiocesan parishes and schools on major strategic, operational and financial issues which may include financial management, accounting, banking and investment oversight, risk management, insurance, benefits, plant management, construction and renovation, data processing and internal controls/best practices.

Congratulations Jim!

Scholarships

This morning the 8th grade students at St. Columbkille Catholic School gathered together as some scholarships were announced to attend:

... Marian High School, ...

... Mount Michael High School, ....

 ... and Daniel J. Gross Catholic High School.

 We are proud of our students receiving scholarships, ...

... and their parents are as well.

Visit Lourdes Virtually

Today, on the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes (and everyday) you can visit this site of Mary's visit to Lourdes at this website.

Preschoolers at Pancake Breakfast

The Knights of Columbus invited the children from Sacred Heart Preschool to their pancake breakfast.  We walked over very early. 

We were helped by some kind 8^th grade students. 

We thanked the Knights of Columbus

 for the delicious pancakes.

We are thankful!

CSW: Pancake Breakfast

This morning the Knights of Columbus will have their pancake breakfast for the parish. But during Catholic Schools Week, they did one for all of the students at Sacred Heart Preschool and St. Columbkille Catholic School.

The breakfast received rave reviews.