HASTINGS (SNR) – The Hispanic “Light of the World” (Luz del Mundo) group of Hastings continued its work of evangelization and development of lay leadership in Lent with two events.

The group organized a weekend retreat Feb. 26-28 for the Spanish-speaking community of St. Andrew Parish in Tecumseh. The laity were joined with Sister Yolanda, C.P.F., of the Passionist Sisters who assist in pastoral care for Hispanic communities, and Father Julius Tvrdy, pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Harvard and director of Hispanic ministry in the Hastings area.

“An essential part of the 20-person team was our parish choral group that lifted our hearts and spirits with great music,” Father Tvrdy added.

Father Tvrdy switched parishes for the weekend with St. Andrew pastor Father Craig Clinch, who directs Hispanic ministry for the Tecumseh area. They offered 40 hour devotion talks in English for the parishes, thus providing two events in two parishes at the same time.

The Luz del Mundo community provided talks and music for the Spanish-speaking community of Tecumseh, while the Tecumseh Hispanic community provided enthusiasm and hospitality. 

“Their hospitality was very evident,” Father Tvrdy said, “in the abundance of good food and lodging at the Convent House in Steinauer. The weekend was full of music, talks, time for prayer and Adoration, as well as many opportunities for sharing between new friends.

“The times of sharing were an effective opportunity for lay leaders to exchange ideas and extend encouragement to each other.”

Last year the Hastings community provided similar events in Minden and Imperial, and this year, Father Tvrdy said, the Minden community returned the favor. 

“While I was in Tecumseh,” he explained, Father Clinch was in Hastings giving talks in Spanish at a Saturday evening of renewal. To help ‘the remnant’ left behind in Hastings to receive

Father Clinch, the Minden Luz del Mundo group came and provided music and witness talks while those in Hastings provided the food and hospitality.

“This was the first time the Minden Luz del Mundo group missioned to another parish,” Father Clinch stated. “It was great learning experience for all three parishes.”

The Hastings group also held an event March 12, directed to the continual growth and development of the team: a retreat to prepare for Holy Week.

The speakers for this day of prayer and reflection were taken from their own membership:  Father Tvrdy, Sister Yolanda, Geraldo Martinez and two friends of the community: Permanent Deacon Gregorio Elizalde, director of Hispanic ministries in Omaha, and  Adolfo Aleman, a participant in the Oklahoma City Archdiocese’s permanent deacon program. 

“Like many days of reflection, this day offered time for prayer and reflection on talks that were both informative as well as inspiring,” Father Tvrdy said. “Moreover it was an opportunity for lay leaders to minister to fellow lay leaders, encouraging each other to embrace their apostolate in the Church.

“I am encouraged to see our Light of the World group continue to develop and provide these opportunities of growth,” he continued, “for those who can have such a great influence on our parish life.”

Story by S.L. Hansen

LINCOLN (SNR) – Among the tens of thousands of people who were received into the Church at Easter Vigil Masses all around the world are three brothers-in-law at Cathedral of the Risen Christ in Lincoln.

The three Stone sisters – Sarah and twins Katie and Carrie – grew up in Cathedral Parish with their brother Ben. They all attended Cathedral School and Pius X High School, and they all married at the Cathedral with Msgr. Robert Tucker officiating.

Katie was the first to wed. She met Will Aldag at work.

“Some mutual work friends started a biking group that we both participated in and the rest is history,” she said. “We have been married almost 14 years.”

During Katie’s bachelorette festivities, Carrie met Ryan Hoy. She ran into an old friend while the bridal party was out on the town, and he introduced the couple.

“We have talked every day since,” Carrie said. “We are coming up on our 11th anniversary.”

Sarah was at a friend’s house when she first met John Wunderlich. Some time later, their paths crossed again, and this time, the sparks began to fly.

“We married in May 2009, so almost seven years,” Sarah said.

None of the three husbands were Catholic. Will was baptized Lutheran but not raised in any particular church. Ryan was raised Methodist, and John grew up attending the Bennet Community Church. Because each man was respectful of the Catholic faith, however, the Stone sisters were not worried about entering into “mixed” marriages.

“Growing up, our father was not a Catholic,” Sarah explained. “John not being Catholic was normal to me. He still attended some Masses with me and asked many questions.” 

“Will was very understanding and open to the Catholic faith from the very beginning,” Katie said.

The Hoys approached the differences in their faith with mutual respect and love, forging a strong foundation for their marriage on what they shared.

“My love for God and Carrie made it easy,” Ryan said.

“We have been filled with great role models,” Carrie added, citing her parents, two sets of aunts and uncles on Ryan’s side, and the Kearneys, with whom they were paired with during their marriage preparation at Cathedral.  “Also, the Engaged Encounter helped prepare us.”

Sarah’s husband, John, also credited marriage preparation with getting them on solid ground right from the beginning.

“We were actually given more opportunities and resources to search deeper into our relationship than had we been married [elsewhere],” he said. “I feel the time with Msgr. Tucker, our host family, our Engaged Encounter, and everything in between gave us what we needed to start our marriage.”

Sarah said that all three sisters were careful to show respect for their husbands’ faith, as the men did for theirs.

“We never believed in forcing a person into faith,” Sarah said. “We never once asked for them to convert.”

As each couple started their families, the children were all graced with the Sacrament of Baptism, most often by Msgr. Tucker.

“My husband (John) calls him, ‘our personal priest,’” Sarah reported with a laugh.

The Wunderlichs have three young children: Octavia, Sophia, and Thomas. The Aldags have four: Mackenzie, William Jr., Grace and Alexa Raye. The Hoys have three: Tyler, Colton, and Addison.

Watching their kids receive sacraments and grow in their faith had a profound effect on all three dads.

Will said that “seeing my kids grow up in the Catholic Church and learning more about the faith” was the catalyst for him to want to become part of the Church.

For Ryan, it was watching his son receive his first Penance and First Holy Communion that made him realize how much he wanted to join his children in the Church.

“I’ve always had it in my mind that I was going to become Catholic someday,” he admitted.

John felt the same way. Then, in March 2015, his beloved grandfather died.

“He was influential before and during the process of my becoming of faith,” John said.

He talked to Sarah about his desire to enroll in Rite of Initiation of Christian Adults classes (RCIA). Despite their busy schedule with three young kids under five and work restraints, she was completely supportive.

“I told him for the next six months we would make it work for him to get to classes,” Sarah said. “This would come first.”

When Sarah told Katie that John was enrolling in RCIA, she answered that Will and Ryan had mentioned taking instruction as well. So, John decided to invite his brothers-in-law to go with him. The other couples – equally busy with work and family obligations – were also committed to giving the men a great RCIA experience.

“I’ve been able to see the religion in a much more deep sense than I knew,” added John.

Will agreed. “RCIA strengthened my love of Christ, helped renew my relationship with Him, and deepened my desire to learn more about the Catholic faith.”

“It has been a very rewarding experience,” said Ryan, who got a little extra coaching along the way: his 9-year-old son, Tyler, was especially enthusiastic.  “I would like to thank God, my wife and children for their continued support.”

At Easter Vigil, when the fire was started at Cathedral of the Risen Christ, the three men began the final leg of their journey into the Church. John was sponsored by Mary and Paul Keating. Will had Mike Sullivan at his side, and Ryan’s sponsors were Dan and Vicki Reinke.

John and Will eagerly awaited receiving the Holy Eucharist for the first time. Ryan added that just “becoming fully accepted into the Church for the first time,” was what he looked forward to most.

As for the three Stone sisters, they are joyful and contented that their husbands are now Catholic.

Sarah said John’s decision to enter the Church “has made his entire family very happy.”

Katie was equally happy for Will, while her kids took it in stride. “It was like they expected it,” she said.

“The kids were excited for Ryan,” Carrie reported. “My mom was ecstatic.”

All three families planned to gather with Fred and Joan Stone to celebrate a very special Easter this year.

“Lots of kids running around screaming, parents running after them,” Sarah anticipated. “Honestly, the boys didn’t want to have a huge celebration, but I’m sure they will be showered with many gifts of faith.”

Story by Tess Wahlmeier

LINCOLN (SNR) – On March 19 Bishop James Conley approved a pastoral plan for Hispanic ministry in the Diocese of Lincoln: “El Camino, la Verdad, y la Vida–The Way, the Truth and the Life.”

For the past two years, the priests, religious, and laity of the Hispanic community have been working to build a Pastoral Plan for Hispanic Ministry for the Diocese of Lincoln. This Pastoral Plan will guide pastors, priests, and leaders across the diocese to better serve Hispanic communities. The projects of the pastoral plan were funded by the Joy of the Gospel capital campaign.

There are currently 11 parishes in the Diocese of Lincoln which celebrate Mass in Spanish on a regular basis, reaching from Nebraska City on the east side of the state all the way to Imperial and Wallace on the west.  Members of these parishes all across the diocese assisted Bishop Conley and Father Ramon Decaen, director of Hispanic ministry, in creating and revising the Pastoral Plan for Hispanic Ministry.

“We began a two-year process of evaluating our situation – seeing what we’ve done, where we’ve come from, our strengths, our weaknesses – and began to put forward a pastoral plan,” said Father Decaen.

Father Decaen said the process of writing and revising the Pastoral Plan was long, but fruitful. Collaboration between the laity, priests, religious and Bishop Conley, went into making the plan efficient and effective. Meetings were held in different communities throughout the diocese, in which laity gave input and helped with revisions of the pastoral plan using the ver-juzgar-actuar process (see-analyze-act). As stated in the Pastoral Plan for Hispanic Ministry, “Ver” identifies the perception, needs, and aspirations of the lay faithful. “Juzgar” analyzes that reality in light of Scripture and Tradition. “Actuar” transforms the results of “juzgar” into corresponding action.

“Ultimately, the laity as well as the bishop were in agreement that we needed to put together this pastoral plan,” Father Decaen said. “We’re finding that we’re behind the ball, in a sense, that we need to address some of these challenges that we’re faced with, with not only making sure that we have priests who speak Spanish, but also finding new ways to evangelize.”

As part of the Actuar process, the pastoral plan has five goals which will be implemented throughout the diocese.

The first goal is the creation of a school of formation and leadership for the Hispanic people. This school would travel to regional areas and offer courses and classes for Hispanics to not only grow in their own faith, but also to share what they learn with their parishes, as well.

“We want to help them understand their role as lay leaders of the Church, to understand how they collaborate with their pastor, priests, and sisters to effectively share the good news with the whole world,” Father Decaen said.

He said that some content will be in the form of video and audio, but most will take place in person.

“We need to be more personal,” Father Decaen said.  “The Hispanic people are very personal, too.”

The second goal is the creation of retreats for married couples and youth. At this point, the diocese does not offer many retreats in Spanish, and those that are offered are often organized by individuals within the parish. The pastoral plan looks to create more diocesan-wide retreats, especially for couples.

The third goal is to have an annual Catholic Hispanic Conference within the diocese. The conference will incorporate a greater understanding of what it means to be a Catholic, and will also be a place of fellowship and community.

“It’s an evangelization conference building stronger Catholics, stronger families, stronger parents, and stronger marriages,” Father Decaen said.

The fourth goal is greater communication for the Spanish-speaking Catholics.

“Language and culture is a challenge at times, to reach the Spanish-speaking people and for the Spanish-speaking people to reach the English-speaking people,” Father Decaen said. “We have found, over the history of the Church, that if we don’t adapt to their language and their culture, then we lose them.”

Improving communication means creating and distributing bilingual information, using both technology (web sites, apps, Facebook, etc.) and traditional means of communication (newsletters, letters, etc.) A network will also be established in order to foster communication with diocesan offices.

The fifth and final goal is fostering greater formation of the youth, a goal that Bishop Conley and all within Hispanic ministry are emphatic about.

Father Decaen said, “Although it’s the last one, it’s very, very important – reaching our youth, fostering greater formation of youth through catechesis and evangelization.”

The pastoral plan states, “While some effort has been made, a stronger collaborative effort to reach out to our Hispanics by the Catholic schools and parishes is needed.”

Greater efforts include establishing a network to help Catholic school administrators and teachers better serve Hispanic families, better training of teachers in multicultural environments, engaging parents in the education process and the Catholic school community, and a greater effort to foster vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

Now that the pastoral plan has been written and formally accepted by Bishop Conley, the diocese begins the five-year process of implementation. 

Many parishes have already started implementing different facets of the pastoral plan. Cristo Rey Parish in Lincoln is planning to bring in national speakers for the Hispanic Conference this fall, and is also offering partial scholarships for youth to participate in diocesan summer camps, such as Campin' with the Marians, Totus Tuus, and the Diocesan Canoe Trip.

“We really want to get our kids involved, because things like that are not only fun but they’re tremendous evangelizing tools,” Father Decaen said, “so it’s all tied in with our effort to reach out to our young people.”

Bishop Conley expressed that “the whole Church can learn from the vitality of the Hispanic Catholic community.”

“I think the pastoral plan will serve us all, on the way to Jesus Christ,” he said.

Q. Is the Vatican really a sovereign state?


A. The Vatican City State is a sovereign entity in Rome, consisting of about 100 acres of buildings and gardens, and a population of less than 1,000 people. The Vatican City State came into creation in 1929, as a result of treaty between the Holy See and Italy.

The Vatican City State is a sovereign state. But its governance is complex.  It is the territory governed by a separate sovereign international entity, the Holy See, which is the legal recognition of the Catholic Church in international law and foreign relations. 

In the United Nations, for example, the Catholic Church is represented by the Holy See, and the Holy See, not the Vatican City State, sends diplomats, called “nuncios” to countries around the world. 

The Holy See has been recognized as a sovereign legal entity since at least the Middle Ages.  It is a subject of international law, and, in fact, across Europe, the Holy See helped to develop the concepts of international law as the idea of a nation emerged in law.  The Holy See is recognized as a sovereign state because of the Church’s current and historical importance in the political, economic, and cultural life of the world.

Between the 8th century and 1870, the pope directly controlled territories on the Italian peninsula known as the Papal States. The political history of the Papal States is complicated, but it laid the groundwork for the continued recognition of the Holy See— the Church— in international law and diplomatic relations.

We’re called to be emissaries to the entire world on behalf of the Gospel. The Church witnesses this call in the Holy See’s diplomatic and international work to bring justice and truth to the international community of nations.

Write to Ask the Register using our online form, or write to P.O. Box 80328, Lincoln, NE 68501-0328. All questions are subject to editing. Editors decide which questions to publish. Personal questions cannot be answered. People with such questions are urged to take them to their nearest Catholic priest.

‘Receiving the Unshakable Kingdom’ to be April 29 - May 1

WAVERLY (SNR) - A retreat with Sister Ann Shields, “Receiving the Unshakable Kingdom (Heb. 12:25-29)” will be held at Our Lady of Good Counsel Retreat House near Waverly April 29 - May 1.

Sister Ann Shields of Renewal Ministries is an internationally noted conference and retreat speaker and author of numerous books on Catholic spirituality including recent booklets: “The Mercy of God and the Joy Repentance Brings,” “Captured By Mercy” and “Hope in the Midst of Suffering.” She currently hosts the popular daily radio program “Food for the Journey,” in cooperation with www.renewalministries.net.

Sister said she prays that the April 29 - May 1 retreat for men and women will help people deepen their encounter with Jesus, be set free from sin, and through scripture have their hearts set ablaze.

“Since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our ‘God is a consuming fire.’” (Hebrews 12:28-29)

This is the great joy of being a Christian, she said, that a Kingdom has already been given, and it is founded on the rock foundation of Christ.

“Therefore,” she said, “we should worship God with reverence and awe, remembering our God is a consuming fire.”

“The faith needs to go from the head to the heart,” she continued. “It needs to become personal, so that it speaks to me and calls me to change.”

Sister also said retreats are important because all people need that time to pray, to be before the Lord, interact with Him, and digest His word.

Our Lady of Good Counsel Retreat House offers a peaceful atmosphere of prayer and recollection, situated on a spacious acreage near Waverly. The facility includes 50 single rooms, each with a private bath. 

Each retreat includes meditations by the retreat master, and opportunities for silence, prayer, adoration and the sacraments. Retreats typically begin with a rosary and Mass at 8 p.m. on Friday, and end with Mass on Sunday, followed by lunch.

To register online, visit www.goodcounselretreat.com, e-mail goodcounsel@cdolinc.net or call 402-786-2705.  The suggested donation for a retreat is $170.

The next upcoming retreat will be May 6-7 with Teresa Monaghen. The women’s retreat is entitled, “Mary: Mother of Mercy.”

OGALLALA (SNR) – Katie Dubas of Imperial will be the featured speaker at the Magnificat brunch hosted by the Our Lady of the Harvest Ogallala Chapter April 30 at 9 a.m. (MT) in the Quality Inn, 201 Chuckwagon Road, Ogallala, off the I-80 exit.

Dubas was raised in Kearney and attended the Franciscan University of Steubenville and studied theology and religious education.  In the past 20 years, she has been involved in various jobs around the country such as NET (National Evangelization Teams), parish director of religious education, RCIA, residence director for 300 young women, diocesan coordinator of evangelization, and catechesis.

In November she moved back to Nebraska and serves nine parishes as the director of youth ministry for the Grant Deanery.

At the age of 36, Dubas became a double cancer survivor of melanoma and thyroid cancer. Knowing that her life is a gift, she said, she dedicates her life to helping spread the Good News of Jesus as a joyful, single Catholic woman, striving to follow the lead of the Holy Spirit. 

Registrations are required by April 25. Send check or money order for $15 to Julie Sestak, P.O. Box 142, Madrid, NE, 69150. For more information, call 308-326-4475 or e-mail jsestak1971@yahoo.com.

Seventh-graders at Aquinas in David City learn about Passover

DAVID CITY (SNR) – Seventh-graders at Aquinas Middle and High School in David City participated in a traditional Seder meal on Holy Thursday, March 24.

The Seder meal is a ritual feast celebrated on the Jewish holiday of Passover. The meal consisted of lamb, bitter herbs, unleavened bread (flour tortillas), and ‘wine’ (grape drink).

While the experience was new to the 43 students who participated, it is not new to the school. Father Joseph Steele has now prepared four Seder meals – with the help of the cooks – over his 12 years at Aquinas.

The meal fits in with the class’s study of the seven sacraments. After studying each sacrament, Father Steele leads various activities. When learning about the history of the Eucharist, they focused on the Seder meal. The new Eucharist was given to the Church by Jesus during the Last Supper, Father Steele said, and Jesus then became the actual sacrificed Paschal Lamb. It was fitting that the class’s timing coincided with Holy Week.

“It worked out great to have the Seder meal on Holy Thursday to help us prepare for the Paschal Triduum,” Father Steele said.

Parish enjoying fruits of ‘Joy of the Gospel’ campaign

Story by Tess Wahlmeier

LINCOLN (SNR) – It all started with the carpet.

“One parish family came forward and offered to help replace all the carpet,” said Kevin Clark, parishioner at of St. Teresa Church in Lincoln and architect with Clark Architects Collaborative, who is heading up the renovations of St. Teresa Church. “It was thread bare in many places and you could see the concrete below.”

Indeed, after 25 years of traffic and stray Cheerios, the carpets in St. Teresa Church were starting to wear out. After a family offered to donate money for new flooring, the parish of St. Teresa began dreaming of other improvements that could be made in the church with added funds from the parish’s participation in the diocesan “Joy of the Gospel” capital campaign.

 “Often, in your home, we have a thought like, ‘it’s time to get a new refrigerator,’ and by the time you’re done, you’ve remodeled the kitchen. It was sort of that way at St. Teresa, as well,” Clark said. “If we’re going to remove the pews to do new flooring, what else should be done at this time?”

The renovation became a collaborative effort among the St. Teresa parish family.
“We’ve had a very, very committed, dedicated, and talented committee,” said Msgr. Joseph Nemec, pastor of St. Teresa. “We had open meetings for all parishioners numerous times. We were also very open to the parish family bringing in various ideas. All ideas can’t be incorporated, but it really helped us to know what our parish was looking for in terms of a glorious, majestic-looking sanctuary, and many ideas were very valuable and incorporated into this project.”

The floors are no longer carpeted, but rather are patterned with tile. The body of the church has tiling with earthy tones and lots of seams and pieces, but the sanctuary is at a higher level of finish, with large black diamonds and white solid lines. The sanctuary tile is all polished, whereas none of the tile in the church body is. The details give distinction between the sanctuary and the body of the church, which will be highlighted by the new communion rails.

In the 1960’s, the church’s original communion rails were removed and cut up in order to make server and acolyte chairs. The individual pieces were measured and cataloged.

It was a bit of a puzzle, Clark said, but the pieces were reassembled into a new communion rail which is very similar to the original.

The parishioners are excited about the communion rails, and Clark said he has seen many trying out the communion rails, so they are ready for their use at Mass. The rails will be completely finished in time for Confirmation.

In the choir loft, the oak floor was refinished and new flexible chairs were installed. The solid wood choir rail was reengineered and opened up with iron grates to eliminate the acoustic shadow caused by the solid choir rail. The change will allow sound to travel to more of the church. The nave and sanctuary floor tiling increases the resonance which improves the acoustics, a victory for St. Teresa’s many choirs. Many people have commented that “it sounds like a church again,” Msgr. Nemec said.

While the actual structure of the church hasn’t changed, details have been added and pieces have been painted to make the existing architecture more noticeable. The pillars, Gothic arch ribs, and purlins (ceiling beams that span between the arched ribs) are all painted in complementary shades of tan, cream, and taupe, and dark wood paneling was added to the sanctuary walls.

Msgr. Nemec said the coloration accentuates other parts of the church, as well.
“I’ve noticed, with the paneling and the painting, I think our windows are more attractive and vibrant. They seem to catch your eye better,” he said.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the patroness of the church, was known for her humility, her “Little Way.” The renovations of the church reflect this, in that they haven’t been monstrous or transformative, but rather accentuate the simple beauty of the church. The complementary colors make the windows look bluer and draw attention to the gold running through the black marble in the sanctuary.

The brown oak panels draw the eye to the center of the church, and then upward toward the tabernacle and crucifix.

“St. Thérèse is all about the Little Way . . . very simple, and very quiet about her work and her influence, so I think our renovation followed the beautiful example of our patroness.” said Clark.

Clark said one of the other goals of the renovation was to eliminate as many distractions as possible. One way of doing so was moving the presider’s chair and server chairs to be parallel with the altar.

“We got rid of all that extra visual clutter by pushing the chairs to the side, which helps draw your eye to the most important focus, Jesus Christ,” Clark said.

Msgr. Nemec also thought moving the chairs brought about a positive change.

“It helps us to focus better on the ambo for the proclamation of the Word because we’re looking straight at it,” Msgr. Nemec said, “but also, the focus of the sanctuary during the holy sacrifice of the Mass is the altar of sacrifice, and so the people are facing that direction and now we have the celebrant and servers facing the same direction.”

Aubrey Potter, a parishioner at St. Teresa, said she’s noticed even the smallest details bringing out beauty, like the gold pinstripe around the INRI of the crucifix. She is also excited for her son to receive his first Communion at the rail.

For Clark, renovating his own parish has been a different experience than his past church renovations.

“When it’s not yours, you  make it right for the people on the committee and then it grows into the parish,” he said, “but here, every weekend, Mass would conclude in the basement and people would fill this space, looking at details, asking about the design, so the parish was highly involved because they were all monitoring the weekly progress and process.”

Although there were several contractors collaborating on the renovation, the parishioners themselves were able to help, as well. All of the gold leafing was done by parishioners, as was much of the painting. There are several electricians in the parish who helped pull wiring for the sound system. Parishioners helped grout tile, move pews, and do odd and end jobs to help refinish the church. One parishioner even rebuilt the broken toe on the Pietà statue.

Chloe Kreikemeier, a freshman at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and life-long parishioner at St. Teresa, said the renovations have brought about fellowship among the members of the parish.

“It’s beautiful to see the community,” she said. “That’s what I grew up on and what I love. Everyone just came together and put the church together.”

One of the most prominent changes is the ceiling – painted a rich blue and sprinkled with golden, six-pointed stars. The stars are found in many European basilicas, and they represent the heavens. Tile flooring symbolizes earth and the wood panels, the walls of the heavenly garden.

“It’s at Mass that Heaven and Earth are brought together,” Msgr. Nemec said.

Kreikemeier said, “I got to go in with my CCD kids the other day, and they noticed that the stars are like heaven and the tile is like earth!”

All of the stars also point toward the tabernacle. The six ceiling panels above the sanctuary have a total of 42 stars, the same number of people in Jesus’s genealogy found in Matthew 1.

“(The stars) also not only remind us of heaven, but of the fact that there are glorious saints in heaven, in union with God, and that’s where we, one day, want to be,” Msgr. Nemec explained.

“The new reverberance (on the tile floor) makes you walk slower,” Clark added. “It slows you down, which I think we can all afford – to slow down a little bit from our normal daily lives and spend a few moments on our knees in prayer.”

The renovation is one of the first Joy of the Gospel projects for the parish. Msgr. Nemec said parishioners were very generous to both the Joy of the Gospel campaign and the renovation. St. Teresa has plans for more phases of renovation, which include St. Teresa School, the church narthex, and the rectory.

Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George ‘make merciful love of Christ visible to all’

By Reagan Scott

LINCOLN (SNR) - Formed by Mother Anselma Bopp in Thuine, Germany in 1869, the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George truly have an international presence. Today they serve in communities across the world seeking to make the merciful love of Christ visible to all people, including people in the Diocese of Lincoln.

The Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George have provinces across the world, but the mother house for their American province is located in Alton, Ill. The sisters have 11 mission houses across the United States, two of which are located in Nebraska.

The sisters serve in Lincoln and Hastings, both carrying out different apostolates in their respective communities: care for clergy and education.

In all, there are five sisters serving in the Lincoln Diocese: Sister Andrea and Sister Paula serve at Bonacum House while Sister Immaculata Biskner, Sister Francesca Santacroce and Sister Christa Marie Halligan serve as teachers in Hastings Catholic Schools.

The Sisters of St. Francis have been in Lincoln since the opening of Bonacum House in 1987 at the behest of Bishop Glennon P. Flavin. A group of sisters formerly taught at Pius X High School in Lincoln, but they moved to Hastings in 1922 to teach there. 

“This is a wonderful diocese! We are blessed to have so many priests who teach in the schools,” Sister Francesca said. “We have a bishop who is faithful to the Holy Father. The Catholic community here in Hastings is very faith-filled and supportive of one another.”

Though the two mission houses share different apostolates, the two groups work to ensure that the mission of their order is carried out and that they serve Bonacum House and Hastings Catholic Schools to the best of their ability.

Bonacum House currently houses 10 retired priests. Every day, Sister Andrea and Sister Paula cook meals for the men as well as wash and fold their laundry.

“We live a life of service to the priests and each other,” Sister Andrea said of her work with Sister Paula.

Bonacum House was named for Bishop Thomas Bonacum, the first Bishop of Lincoln. But the word “bonacum” also means “with goodness” and the sisters strive to do their work in that very way, with goodness.

Every morning, Sister Andrea and Sister Paula wake up as early as 4 a.m. They attend Mass celebrated by one of four priests who rotate the duty. At 7 a.m. the priests all get together to concelebrate Mass while the sisters prepare breakfast.

“We both take turns cooking and cleaning,” Sister Paula said.

The duo enjoy taking care of the retired priests in their advanced age, as well as the blessings that come along with their job.

Sister Paula said, “It’s nice to know we were with them at the end of their lives.”

Sister Andrea has also felt the effects of their work with the priests.

“It’s beautiful to accompany them in their last days, months, hours,” she said. “We get to assist them into eternity.”

The sisters aren’t the only ones who feel the effects of their work at Bonacum House, though. Father John Zastrow is the oldest priest there, having lived at Bonacum House for 16 years.

“They do a very good and kind job of supplying for our needs,” Father Zastrow said. “The sisters keep us well-fed and clean, and sometimes inspire us spiritually.”

Because the sisters and priests have worked together for so long, their relationship with each other is very close.

“We have fun and we’re very familial with each other,” Sister Andrea said.
Father Zastrow agreed.

“They’re not removed from us,” he said. “It’s good here and [Sisters Andrea and Paula] are a good part of it.”

Together, Sister Paula and Sister Andrea work to serve the priests to the best of their abilities, letting their love for Christ show through their work every day.

Sister Andrea said, “We go to bed dead tired but knowing that we’ve been around for them. Even in their old age they need a mother figure in their lives.”

Sister Paula agreed, acknowledging that, “it’s good to always be around the priests.”

Between the two, the pair has served at Bonacum House for over a decade and it is the hope of many that they will continue their loving service for years to come.

In Hastings, the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George have a very different apostolate, currently serving as teachers in St. Cecilia Middle/High School, or, in Sister Francesca Santacroce’s case, the school librarian at St. Michael.

“Our sisters work in the schools and participate in activities in the parishes,” Sister Francesca said. “Teaching gives us an opportunity to bring God into all subjects.”

Mia Stec, a sophomore at St. Cecilia High School, had nothing but good things to say about the sisters and the impact that they have had on her life.

The first teacher she mentioned was Sister Christa Marie who, according to Stec, has had a huge impact on the school’s English department.

“I can say, at least for me, through [Sister Christa Marie’s] class I have become a better English writer than I was before,” Stec said.

Stec also mentioned Sister Immaculata Biskner who has been in Hastings for seven years.

“Sister Immaculata changed me in a big way as a person,” Stec said. “I used to be this person who would just be really mean and snobby but she got on my case about that and I have been changed greatly by it.”

Sister Francesca Santacroce has been in Hastings the longest, having served there for 23 years. She taught fourth graders at St. Michael School for four years before becoming the school librarian.

Sister Francesca said, “I love kids and books – so I have the perfect job!”

Stec said, “Sister Francesca is just the most loving woman I know. She is just always happy and has a smile on her face.”

No matter where they serve, the Sisters of St. Francis of the Martyr St. George do their best to serve the people in their communities to the best of their ability. The effects of their work have been felt across the diocese.

Sister Andrea said, “It’s a joy to be here, it really is.”

All appointments are effective June 13, 2016, unless otherwise noted

Pastors
Rev. Patrick Barvick is appointed Pastor of St. Mary Parish in Davey and teacher at Bishop Neumann Jr./Sr. High School in Wahoo.  He retains his assignment as an Advocate on the Diocesan Tribunal.
 
Rev. Joseph Bernardo is appointed Pastor of St. Leo Parish in Palmyra and St. Martin Parish in Douglas.  He retains his assignment as Chaplain and teacher at Pius X High School in Lincoln.

Rev. Thomas Bush is appointed Pastor of St. Mary Parish in Wallace, Resurrection Parish in Elsie and Mother of Sorrows Parish in Grant. 

Rev. Michael Christensen is appointed Pastor of St. Anthony Parish in Steinauer and Sacred Heart Parish in Burchard.

Rev. Scott Courtney is appointed Pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Geneva and St. Mary Parish in Shickley.  He is appointed Chaplain for Camp Kateri in McCool Junction and Chaplain for the Youth Rehabilitation Treatment Center in Geneva. 

Rev. Matthew Eickhoff is appointed Pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Benkelman and St. Joseph Parish in Stratton.  He retains his assignment as member of the Commission on Ecumenism and to continue his studies for a doctoral degree in theology. 

Rev. Joseph Faulkner is appointed Pastor of St. Wenceslaus in Wahoo.  He retains his assignment as Chaplain for Totus Tuus. 

Rev. Thomas Schultes is appointed Pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Lawrence, St. Stephen Parish in Lawrence, and Assumption Parish in Deweese.
 
Rev. Steven Snitily is appointed Pastor of Holy Trinity Parish in Brainard, and Director of the Loma Czech Catholic Shrine.  He retains his assignment as Judge on the Diocesan Tribunal and Director of the Tribunal Outreach Mission.

Rev. Adam Sughroue is appointed Pastor of St. Ann Parish in Doniphan and Sacred Heart Parish in Kenesaw.  He retains his assignment to teach at Hastings Catholic Schools and serve as an Advocate on the Diocesan Tribunal. 

Rev. Charles Townsend is appointed Pastor of St. Peter Parish in Lincoln.

Rev. Kenneth Wehrs is appointed Pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish in Cambridge and St. Germanus Parish in Arapahoe, and teacher at St. Patrick School in McCook. 

Rev. Thomas Wiedel is appointed Pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Manley and St. Mary Parish in Elmwood. 

Parochial Vicars
Rev. David Gayhart is appointed Parochial Vicar at St. Peter Parish in Lincoln, teacher at Pius X High School in Lincoln, and Advocate on the Diocesan Tribunal.

Rev. Kishore Gorantla is appointed Parochial Vicar at St. Patrick Parish in McCook.

Rev. Caleb La Rue is appointed Parochial Vicar at St. Cecilia Parish in Hastings, teacher at Hastings Catholic Schools, and Advocate on the Diocesan Tribunal. 

Rev. BalaRaju Marneni, a priest of the Diocese of Nalgonda (India), is appointed Parochial Vicar at St. Teresa Parish in Lincoln.

Special Assignments
Rev. Mark Cyza is appointed Chief Administrative Officer of Lourdes Central Catholic Schools.  He retains his assignment as Pastor of St. Benedict Parish in Nebraska City, area Director of the Spanish Speaking Apostolate in Nebraska City, Chaplain for the Franciscan Sisters of the Sorrowful Mother, and Assistant Spiritual Director for the Legion of Mary. 

Rev. Ryan Kaup is appointed Co-Chaplain for Frassati (young adult apostolate) in addition to his current assignment as Parochial Vicar at Cristo Rey Parish in Lincoln, teacher at Pius X High School and Advocate on the Diocesan Tribunal.

Rev. Thomas Kuffel is released for pastoral ministry in the Diocese of Fairbanks (Alaska) for a period of three years. 

Very Rev. Randall Langhorst is appointed to continue serving as Vicar for Clergy with residence at Kealy Hall.  He is also appointed as the Diocesan Director of the Hospitals, Nursing Home and Retirement Homes Apostolate.

Rev. Mark Pfeiffer is appointed Senior Priest in Residence in St. Stephen Parish in Exeter.
 
Very Rev. Rafael Rodriguez-Fuentes is appointed Vicar for Hispanic Ministry in addition to his current assignment as Dean of Men and teacher at Saint Gregory the Great Seminary, and Advocate on the Diocesan Tribunal, effective April 8, 2016.

Rev. Thomas Walsh is released for pastoral ministry in the Diocese of Gallup (New Mexico) for a period of three years. 

Retired
Rev. Patrick Murphy will retire from active ministry.  He is relieved of his assignment as Pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Manley and St. Mary Parish in Elmwood.  He will reside at Bonacum House in Lincoln.

LINCOLN (SNR) - Bishop James Conley and Father Robert Matya, director of the St. Thomas Aquinas Newman Center on the University of Nebraska-Lincoln campus will be on “EWTN Live” Wednesday, April 27 at 7 p.m. (CT).

The show, hosted by by Father Mitch Pacwa, will describe the new Newman Center, which was dedicated in 2015. More to follow in next week's Southern Nebraska Register.

Use the EWTN 'Channel Finder' to learn how you can watch.

Story by Tess Wahlmeier

(SNR) - For families who want to give back to the Church but aren’t sure how, the Catholic Foundation of Southern Nebraska is the perfect place to start.

The Catholic Foundation of Southern Nebraska exists to proclaim the Good News of Salvation by offering opportunities to financially support the spiritual, educational, and charitable works of all Catholic parishes, schools, diocesan offices and agencies.

“Today, most of the money donated to endowments at the Foundation goes back to serve local needs,” said Chris Raun, executive director of the Catholic Foundation. “Using Hastings as an example, we have endowments that were established to support Catholic education and two parishes in Hastings, and distributions from those endowments go back to Hastings to meet their needs.”

While the Catholic Foundation was originally established to manage diocesan endowments, and to help schools, parishes, and Catholic organizations meet financial needs, the Foundation was also formed to assist individuals with charitable giving and planned gifts.

“We’re able to share ideas and provide resources to help individuals successfully manage their money and their charitable giving,” Raun said, “and we’re well connected with professionals who can assist them with estate plans and financial plans if they need a referral. We understand that once people gain confidence in their financial plans, they can give focus to charitable giving.  It’s our goal to help people as much as we can.”

The Catholic Foundation of Southern Nebraska likes to help people be creative in their philanthropy to the Church.

“If we can figure out what somebody has in their heart,” Raun said, “we can help them be charitable in a way that is personal and meaningful to them. If they like to serve poor people, we can help them do that. If they like to help low-income students pay for an education, we can do that. If they want to make sure their parish will be financially sound for years to come, we can help them do that.

“If they want to help a seminarian fund his education, or make sure priests and religious sisters can live in dignity in retirement, we can do that,” he continued. “There are just so many different things we can do to help people realize their charitable goals, and at the same time help them meet the needs of their families.”

Today, a growing number of endowments exist at the Foundation for the benefit of Catholic schools, parishes, and organizations; however, individual donors are encouraged to start their own endowments as well. In one family, a member was suffering from cancer, and started an endowment specifically to benefit people suffering with terminal illnesses. That endowment assists people in paying out-of-pocket expenses incurred as a result of their illnesses.

In order to help people be good stewards of their financial resources as they give charitably to the Church, the Catholic Foundation can provide assistance to people with financial planning. Strategies for charitable giving often result in significant tax savings, and people discover they can both improve their financial situation, and give charitably, at the same time.
Examples of tools that can be used for charitable giving include charitable trusts, charitable life estates, and gift annuities, and there are many different types of assets people can donate. 

“People don’t realize the options they have for giving,” Raun said.  “Appreciated stock, depreciated assets, shares of mutual funds, grain, automobiles, real estate, retirement accounts. All are assets people can gift to charity while realizing a tax benefit.”

While educating individuals on different ways to be charitable, the Catholic Foundation manages existing endowments for growth. The ongoing goal is to achieve a steady return on investment, and since the inception of the Foundation an attractive average annual return has been achieved through careful management. Importantly, investment assets have been managed in a manner that is in keeping with Catholic morals and teaching. 

“We screen our investments so that we don’t invest in a company whose mission, products, and services are out of sync with Catholic morals and Catholic teaching,” Raun said.  “That’s really important to us and our donors.”

Individuals can make donations to funds at the Foundation online at catholicgift.org.  Donors can give to a growing list of specific endowments, and can choose to make recurring gifts. For example, if one wants to donate $25 to a parish endowment every month, it can be easily implemented online.

Raun became the executive director of the Catholic Foundation of Southern Nebraska late in 2014 after a 30-year career in the advertising industry, and five years in his own financial services practice. He and his family are very involved in the Church, and Raun said taking his position at the Catholic Foundation was a perfect way to make every day count.

“It’s interesting how God leads you to things,” he said.  “Coming to the Foundation was a perfect evolutionary step for me because of its important mission. Every day, I’m working with wonderful Catholic people who are of a mind to be charitable, they’re kind and generous, and when somebody new calls me on the phone, it’s the start of a new relationship.  I really love the work.”

One of the most meaningful parts for Raun is that the Catholic Foundation assists individuals for free.

“The beauty of this from the donor’s perspective is that my staff and I are not salesmen who benefit personally from their decisions,” he said.  “We’re just here to help them accomplish their goals.”

The Catholic Foundation serves the entire diocese, and Foundation board members are located throughout the Lincoln Diocese, from Imperial to Falls City.  Raun said the board of directors is a valuable asset, both personally and within the workings of the Foundation.

“I not only learn from them myself, but am able to leverage their knowledge, their expertise, and their perspective,” he said. “These are successful people, and their perspective is really important to the Foundation. I like to tap into them as a resource as much as possible because they are very helpful to me, and to the Foundation.”

The board of directors currently includes Mike Klein (Holdrege), Vickie Malleck (McCook), Peg Welch (Hastings), Chere Kane (Valparaiso), Glenn Baumert (Wahoo), Scott Gubbels (Lincoln), Pat Kenner (Hebron), Ann Hovis (Lincoln), Jack Crowley (Hastings), Robert Aitken (Falls City), Mike Balters (Lincoln), Allen Moravec (David City), Dorothy Endacott (Lincoln), Jim Spahr (Seward), Tom Terryberry (Imperial), and Walter Zink (Lincoln).

Ex-officio board members include His Excellency, Bishop James D. Conley, Msgr. Timothy Thorburn, Msgr. Liam Barr, Msgr. John Perkinton, and Father John Sullivan.

Individuals, parishes, and schools may contact any of these board members to learn more about the Catholic Foundation. They can also call Chris Raun directly at 402-488-2142, or Les Mach, gift planning officer, at 402-443-6180 to learn more about charitable giving and financial planning.

Teresa Monaghen to present ‘Mary: Mother of Mercy’

WAVERLY (SNR) – Teresa Monaghen, a consecrated woman with the Apostolic Oblates and Pro Sanctity Movement, will lead a women’s retreat at Our Lady of Good Counsel Retreat House near Waverly May 6-7.

Monaghen has been a happily, perpetually, joyfully vowed member of the Apostolic Oblates and Pro Sanctity since 1989. She will share meaningful and simple ways of mercy, as the pathway to Heaven in daily life.

The retreat topic, “Mary: Mother of Mercy” includes lessons of love and mercy from Our Lady, Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta – who will be canonized this fall, St. John Paul II, St. Faustina and other ‘Saints of Mercy.’

The retreat is open to all women, young and old, married and single. It is in honor of Mary, Queen of Mercy during the holy month dedicated to Our Lady.

Father Gary Coulter, director of the retreat house, said it “would be a great Mother’s Day gift for the mother or grandmother in your life!”

There will be times of silence and sharing, opportunities for prayer and preparing in order to live ever more fully this Holy Year of Mercy.

Our Lady of Good Counsel Retreat House offers a peaceful atmosphere of prayer and recollection, situated on a spacious acreage near Waverly.  The facility includes 50 single rooms, each with a private bath. Each retreat includes meditations by the retreat master, and opportunities for silence, prayer, adoration and the sacraments.

This two-day retreat runs from 8 p.m. Friday until 6 p.m. Saturday evening. The suggested donation is $100, but no one is refused for inability to pay.  Please note there is no Mass on Friday night, but the retreat will include Mass, confessions and Adoration on Saturday.

To register online, visit www.goodcounselretreat.com, e-mail goodcounsel@cdolinc.net or call 402-786-2705.

Story by S.L. Hansen

VALPARAISO (SNR) - What makes Bob and Susan Masek’s love story unique is not that they met as college students, or their lovely Catholic wedding, or their two beautiful children. It’s their love for Christ and the way He led them to “bloom where they are planted.”

When their children were still in early elementary school, the Maseks felt called to make a change. They were happy in their vocation to the married life, parenting, and serving in their parish, but they wanted to do something greater for Jesus.

“We were ready to sell everything we had and move to New Guinea or something,” Bob said.

They prayed for direction and prudently consulted a priest. His advice was to stay in Valparaiso and look for God’s will there.

“We kept telling God, ‘Make sure there is a neon sign showing us the way,’” Susan joked.

Three years went by. In 1999, Bob was at the Lincoln airport for his job when he saw their “neon sign”: three newly-arrived Carmelite Sisters. 

The sisters were in the diocese to find property for a new monastery. After 11 years in Las Vegas, with no success in finding a permanent home, they had contacted Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz to see if he had a spot for their community.

It turned out the spot – which is now the Carmel of Jesus, Mary and Joseph – was 4 miles south of the Maseks’ Valparaiso home. The Carmelites rented a small farmhouse near the building site, with a trailer on one side to serve as a chapel. The Maseks volunteered to help the sisters move in and later served as errand runners and chauffeurs.

Almost immediately, the sisters made a big impact on the Masek family.

“These sisters are the most selfless people I have ever seen,” Bob said. “They don’t use the words ‘me’ or ‘mine.’ They are continually looking out for the one next to them.”

The Mass celebrated in the extraordinary form (“Latin”) was an eye-opener for the Maseks, too. Sitting in the back row of the makeshift chapel, they were inspired by the holy reverence of traditional liturgy.

“The very first time, we thought, ‘Where has this been all our lives?’” Susan recalled.

Some weeks later, the prioress, Mother Teresa of Jesus, asked the Maseks to become the caretakers of the Carmel. Bob and Susan were dumbfounded.

Respectfully, Bob started to explain to Mother they weren’t qualified to oversee a 50,000-square-foot monastery and surrounding property.

He remembers Mother’s response: “She said, ‘God wouldn’t have brought you to us if He had thought you couldn’t do it.’”

“Then she turned and walked away,” Susan smiled. “And here we are, 16 years later.”

During Thanksgiving week of 2001, enough of the monastery had been completed for the sisters to move in. Simultaneously, the Maseks moved into the new caretaker’s home, which the sisters had designed to suit them exactly.

Their house is attached to the guest quarters for discerning women and the sisters’ visiting families. The Maseks maintain the guesthouse, sometimes providing meals as requested by Mother.

When the guests are family members of women entering the cloister, the Maseks offer spiritual and emotional support. Susan said that they sometimes draw on their experience running a funeral home years ago.

“It can feel the same,” she said. “You go through that loss, but then you see her so full of joy and it’s just perfect.”

In fact, some parents have confided in the Maseks that since their daughters have entered the cloister, their relationship is closer than ever.

While continuing to work their jobs in Lincoln, the Maseks shop for the sisters, pick up mail, transport potential postulants to and from the airport, and perform general grounds and building maintenance. For more advanced work, a pre-approved list of contractors have permission to enter the cloister, accompanied by sisters, to do repairs.

The sisters themselves do most of the work within the monastery. They milk the cows, garden, can vegetables, clean, cook, and so forth. They also produce prayer cards, embroider liturgical linens, and use their God-given talents in other ways to serve the Church.

“Whatever talent a sister has, those talents are magnified here,” Bob said.

In these last 16 years, the Maseks have become like extended family members of the sisters. Immediately after their daughter’s wedding, the newlyweds and their parents went to enjoy a couple hours with the sisters, who sang to them beautifully from the other side of the grille. When their son was paralyzed in a serious accident, the whole Masek family was sustained by the sisters’ prayers.

Twice, the Carmel population has grown large enough to start new monasteries in other dioceses. One group left for Elysburg, Penn. in 2009, and the other moved to Kensington, Calif., in 2013. The sisters are currently praying for God’s will regarding yet another new community.

Each time, the Maseks said goodbye to a group of sisters they truly love. They recognize that it’s probably harder on them than it is on the Carmelites, though.

“The sisters practice a detachment from all worldly things,” Bob explained. “They rely totally on Divine Providence.”

Bob and Susan both say they have grown exponentially in terms of faith and trust in the Lord. Their joy and contentment is palpable.

“We never worry any more,” Susan smiled.

Carmelite spirituality, Bob said, “is the secret to happiness.”

All are welcome to visit the Carmel of Jesus, Mary and Joseph for Mass celebrated in the extraordinary form. Mantillas (head coverings), while more custom than obligation, are available in the chapel vestibule for women to borrow.

If visitors would like to support the sisters by donating supplies such as paper products, shelf-stable vegetarian food items or funding, there is a turn room that is open to the public. Items can be placed on circular shelf that rotates into the cloister.

Also, the sisters love to pray for the people of the diocese. Prayer requests can be mailed to Mother Teresa of Jesus, O.C.D., Prioress; Carmel of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, 9300 Agnew Road, Valparaiso, NE 68065.

More urgent intentions may be emailed to the chaplain at msgr.thorburn@lincolndiocese.org.

Story by S.L. Hansen

SEWARD (SNR) - Thanks to the generosity of people across the Diocese of Lincoln through the Joy of the Gospel campaign, St. Gregory the Great Seminary (SGGS) in Seward is about to expand.

The groundbreaking ceremony for a new wing will be Sunday, April 24 at 2 p.m.

The new wing, which will be completed in time for the fall 2017 semester, will provide new dorm rooms, two additional classrooms and a science lab. The parking lot will be expanded as well.

One classroom will be designed for lectures and another for seminar-style classes.

“These show and accommodate the different teaching styles that are employed here at SGGS,” rector Father Jeffrey Eickhoff said.

The science lab will end the 3-mile journey to Concordia University, where seminarians have had to do lab work since the seminary opened in 1998. Father Eickhoff expressed gratitude to Concordia for their partnership, but said it’s time for SGGS to have their own facility.

The rest of the wing will have 11 dorm rooms. Five additional rooms will be the laundry, lounge, etc., but they are designed to convert to dorm rooms someday, if needed.

Overall, this expansion will increase the seminary’s capacity from 58 to 80.         

“The number 80 was discussed among the faculty and administration as a watershed number,” Father Eickhoff said. He explained it’s the maximum amount of students the seminary can currently handle without adding teachers or class sections.

When SGGS opened, it had room for 48 seminarians.

“We hit this number in both the 2013-14 and 2014-15 school years,” Father Eickhoff reported.

Obviously, not all of those young men were from the Diocese of Lincoln. Twelve other dioceses have sent seminarians to SGGS.

“With our growing numbers and the growing numbers of seminarians in many dioceses, the Diocese of Lincoln can continue to provide a service to the larger Church in the United States, and also enrich its own diocesan seminary formation by expanding its mission and scope,” Father Eickhoff said.

Being able to serve other dioceses is not only a good thing to do, he said, it makes good financial sense.

“Greater numbers decrease the cost per seminarian,” Father Eickhoff said. “When the seminary opened, it cost us over $25,000 per student to educate each of the 23 seminarians that year. In the last three years, despite inflationary costs of food, utilities, payroll, etc., the cost has been less than $20,000 per seminarian.”

He continued, “This is easy to see as you think that the seminary still has to pay to heat and cool the same building, light the same hallways, and pay the same teachers.”

Of course, some costs do increase. Two summers ago, the dining, kitchen and food storage areas were all upgraded to accommodate the growing student body, and additional staff was hired to keep SGGS running smoothly.

“The major increasing expense is the food bill, which is now over $100,000 each year – these guys eat a lot!” Father Eickhoff said with a grin.

A few years ago, when SGGS was nearing capacity, two classrooms were turned into five additional double-occupancy dorm rooms. That allowed 10 more men to be added to the student body.

“We had 56 seminarians at the beginning of this 2015-16 school year,” Father Eickhoff said.

Six other dioceses are responsible for 34 of those men, and there are two other dioceses looking at SGGS in the next two years. If that sounds like the Lord has blessed multiple parts of the country with more vocations, it’s a fair assessment.

“I would say that each of our current outside dioceses has seen an increase in the number of seminarians in the last five years,” Father Eickhoff said.

Seminary leadership is also planning another construction phase as more funds become available. Depending on the most urgent need, St. Gregory the Great will next add either a bigger gymnasium and exercise/weight room or more classrooms, including a lecture hall.

“Our present gym was designed for junior-high age students, with a capacity of about 20,” he lamented.

During the winter months when the snow is blowing and temperatures drop, the gym is the only recourse for the seminarians when they gather for recreation.

“For our 50-plus college men, the gym is very cramped and even a dangerous place to play,” Father Eickhoff admitted.

He hopes that within the next five years, a new gym will become a reality, but if additional classrooms are a more immediate need, the gym will have to wait.

On behalf of SGGS seminarians, staff and faculty, Father Eickhoff expressed his thanks to all the people of the diocese who support the seminary with their generous gifts.

“It is an investment in not only a building and growing college, but the future of the Church and the face of the priesthood in the United States for years to come,” Father Eickhoff said. “Please continue to support us spiritually in your prayers: may we all pray for vocations and holy priests to serve our souls and the souls of the many people who need them!”

All are welcome to attend the hour-long groundbreaking ceremony at 2 p.m. April 24. A reception hosted by the seminarians and the religious sisters who cook for them will follow.

Q. There is increasing scientific evidence that animals have sophisticated social networks, complex emotions, the ability to communicate them, and intelligence rivaling humans. What makes people different from animals? Do we have the same ethical responsibilities to people as to animals?

A. The Catechism of the Catholic Church says that “animals are God’s creatures. He surrounds them with his providential care. By their mere existence they bless him and give him glory. Thus men owe them kindness. … God entrusted animals to the stewardship of those whom he created in his own image. Hence it is legitimate to use animals for food and clothing. They may be domesticated to help man in his work and leisure. Medical and scientific experimentation on animals is a morally acceptable practice if it remains within reasonable limits and contributes to caring for or saving human lives.  It is contrary to human dignity to cause animals to suffer or die needlessly. It is likewise unworthy to spend money on them that should as a priority go to the relief of human misery.”

At the same time, “one can love animals; one should not direct to them the affection due only to persons.” People are different from animals because people are made in the image of God. We are created for a kind of unity with one another, and with God, for relationships of unity and reciprocity that animals can not have. Human beings have souls with the capacity for freedom, and for eternal unity with God. Animals have souls, but they are not immaterial like human souls. They do not have the capacity for moral agency that people do. 

Although animals are different from people, and not able to love or be loved in the same way, they are worthy of our respect, so that we honor God by becoming good stewards of his creation.

Write to Ask the Register using our online form, or write to P.O. Box 80328, Lincoln, NE 68501-0328. All questions are subject to editing. Editors decide which questions to publish. Personal questions cannot be answered. People with such questions are urged to take them to their nearest Catholic priest.

Story by S.L. Hansen

(SNR) - Lectio Divina (“Divine Reading”) workshops will be offered this spring at the John XXIII Diocesan Center in Lincoln.
“Learning to Pray Together with Sacred Scripture” will be held on three consecutive Wednesdays at 7 p.m. beginning April 27.

Five women who are part of a Lectio Divina group will be the instructors. Carleen Barger, Patricia Bucknor and Kim Jansen of St. John the Apostle Parish in Lincoln, and Jennifer Davis and Erin Hammond of St. Teresa Parish have been meeting to pray the

Scriptures together and grow in their faith since last summer.

Jansen and Bucknor had each been practicing meditative prayer on their own for some time when they decided to pray together. Barger, Davis and Hammond joined later.

“Lectio is more intimate than a Bible study,” Jansen said. “In Bible study, you are sharing a little bit of your life, but in Lectio, you are sharing what Jesus is doing in your hearts.”

“We’re vulnerable, but it’s a safe place to be vulnerable,” Davis said. “It has been awesome to see God work in these women’s lives.”

The ladies meet weekly in one home or another to pray the Gospel passage slated for the coming Sunday. They all have children – there are 22 offspring between the five women – and only a handful of the kids are school age.

Babies are passed from lap to lap and assorted toddlers and preschoolers are enticed to entertain themselves for an hour with a movie, a box of dress-up clothes, toys, and the occasional animal cracker. After the kids are settled and any exciting events of the past week are shared, the ladies open with prayer and dive into the Gospel.

“It has enriched the Sunday Mass for me,” Barger said.

The others nod in agreement, adding that it’s not just Mass. The women say Lectio helps in every aspect of their lives. 
Hammond related how she used it to help prepare her son for his first Communion.

“I try to teach him, ‘This is how you can take a Scripture and read through it and have a relationship with Christ,’” she said.

“I feel as mothers there is so much pressure to be perfect,” Davis lamented. “This group is what I needed at the right time… I have learned that happy is the new perfect.”

Hammond has also felt herself growing in the joy of the Lord.

“Nothing in my life is radically different than it was since I joined the group last August, but now I feel that joy even when I am suffering,” she explained.

“A lot of it stems from unconditional love,” Barger reasoned. This Lectio group, she said, has brought her, “greater revelations of the Father’s love.”

Bucknor said the Lord uses the other women to speak to her. She recalled a time when Jansen offered a casual thought that immediately clicked with Bucknor. Another time when the Prodigal Son was the Gospel reading, each was given new perspectives.

Jansen, who “grew up in a Catholic bubble” as she put it, had always identified with the older brother. This time, however, she realized that just like the prodigal, she too, was in need of conversion. Meanwhile, Bucknor, who always related to the prodigal because of a rebellious phase during her youth, suddenly understood the older brother’s point of view.

Lectio, Bucknor mused, “has been more relational with me: who I am to God, what He wants from me, not just one day, but forever.”

Though the concept of Lectio Divina can seem a bit intimidating to newcomers, the women don’t want others to let the process keep them from trying. 

“It’s not about following the steps, but letting God lead you,” Bucknor said. “It’s listening, it’s prayer, but you don’t get what you think you will get…. It’s best to come with no expectations.”

“You have to be willing to listen and trust,” Davis agreed.

While Lectio Divina can be practiced solo, the women said there are definite benefits to group prayer.

“God uses other people and that’s the beauty of it,” Davis said.

That’s why they are eager to help other people start their own Lectio Divina groups. They have designed the workshops to be very practical.

On April 27, the topic will be, “Getting Started: Falling in Love with Jesus.” Participants will learn what Lectio Divina is and how it differs from a typical Bible study. The women will share their personal experiences with Lectio and demonstrate how a group Lectio session works.

The next week, May 4, will be a hands-on practicum titled, “Diving Into His Word.” This session will focus on the prayer process. Participants will divide into groups, each with a presenter to guide them through Lectio prayer.

The workshop series will end on May 11 with, “Tools for the Journey: Led by the Holy Spirit.” The women will answer questions and provide tips on avoiding common pitfalls. There will be another small group Lectio practice session, followed by quiet time to discern and plan next steps.

Hopefully, several new Lectio groups will start after the workshops.

“Each of us is willing to come alongside [a new group] for a few weeks to get them started,” said Jansen. “I am excited for this opportunity to share how Jesus has worked in my life through praying Lectio in a group setting and to provide direction and encouragement to others.”

DENTON (SNR) – Bishop James Conley celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving April 10 in honor of the women religious of the Diocese celebrating jubilees of religious profession.

The Mass was celebrated in St. Mary Church in Denton. A dinner and program followed in the Denton Community Center.

The jubilarians honored included Sister Collette Bruskewitz, O.S.F., Sister Mary Ellen Auffert, O.S.B. and Sister Ana Maria Solis, O.S.F., all marking 60 years of profession; Sister Clare Sullivan, M.S. and Sister Joanne Thomas, O.S.F., 55 years. Sister Mary Ines Dizon, S.Sp.S.A.P. celebrated 50 years of religious profession, and Sister Perpetua of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, O.C.D., and Sister Yolanda Montes, C.F.P. celebrated 25 years.

Story by Tess Wahlmeier

LINCOLN (SNR) - Bishop James Conley and Father Robert Matya, pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church and Newman Center in Lincoln, will appear on EWTN Wednesday, April 27 to talk about the fruit of the Newman Center.

They will be on “EWTN” Live, hosted by Father Mitch Pacwa.

Father Pacwa, 66, is the Catholic priest who took over Mother Angelica’s live TV show on EWTN Global Catholic Network when she retired in 2001 due to health problems. He suffered a heart attack April 16 but is in recovery, EWTN said, and is expected to be present for the April 27 program.

The appearance will be a way to spread the “amazing stories” of what’s happening at the Newman Center and give glory to God.

“That’s what it’s all about, first and foremost, is praise God for what He’s done here and the great things that are going to keep coming,” said Jude Werner, director of development at the Newman Center.

The fruit of the Newman Center is seen, not only in the Diocese of Lincoln or even the state of Nebraska, but all over the country. There are now 107 FOCUS missionaries serving on 64 different campuses across the country who have come from the Newman Center. Many young men are studying for the priesthood in numerous different dioceses, young women are studying in convents around the country, and holy marriages and holy families have come out of the Newman Center, as well.

“There are a number of Newman Centers around the country that are doing amazing stuff,” Werner said.  “We’re not an anomaly.  The Holy Spirit is stirring in numerous places and doing great things.”

Werner also mentioned how many great Catholic liberal arts schools are available, and that high school students should know that they have the opportunity to go to either one.

“If you want to go to a small Benedictine College because that’s what you’re called to, or Christendom or Steubenville, that’s great!  If, because of your major or your athletic interests, you want the big University experience, there are great Newman Centers around the country that are legitimate options. The vast majority of Catholic students in college today are in state universities and colleges, so we need to have strong Newman Centers like that, and not only can we serve the students here, but hopefully can be a role model for others that are trying to do the same thing.”

FALLS CITY (FCS/ SNR) – For the second year in a row, every kindergarten student in Falls City – both at Sacred Heart and the local public school – received a brand-new book from the Scholastic Spring Book Fair.

The books were donated as a gift in memory of Diana Kottich, who died in December 2014 from ovarian cancer. Diana was a teacher with the public school system for several years. She spent the last part of her career teaching kindergarten, and her family said the young students held a special place in her heart. Diana had a passion for reading and felt it was important to pass it on to her students.

“We are very fortunate that Steve Kottich continues to keep Diana’s love of reading alive through the young students at both Sacred Heart and Falls City Public,” Sacred Heart librarian Angela Simon said.

Each child gets to choose a book from a selection that students are able to read and comprehend at the kindergarten level. Libraries at both locations benefit from funds provided by the program based on the profit of the sales.

Simon, kindergarten teacher Linda Barnhill and Steve Kottich, Diana’s husband and an alumnus of Sacred Heart distributed the books to students with Diana’s daughter and granddaughter, teacher Erin Waller and preschool student Stella Waller.

“My favorite part about receiving a book was taking a picture with my class and Mr. Kottich,” kindergarten student Adrian Coetzee said. “I picked the Nic Bishop book about spiders. I love the book and like that I can read it myself.” 

This year 63 books were donated to Falls City students on behalf of the Diana Kottich Memorial Fund.

- From Caitlin Cooper