“Prince Caspian” by C.S. Lewis, illustrated by Pauline Baynes
Harper/Collins Publishing, New York, 1951, 238 pages, grades 5-7.
In the late 1940s to mid-1950s, C.S. Lewis wrote one of the most inspiring series of Christian fantasy ever produced. It is known as the Narnia Chronicles. A number of the books have been made into movies. These movies have been very well received by the public.
The central character in the books is Aslan, the magnificent, redeeming lion. Though the series is sometimes numbered differently, the fourth book, Prince Caspian, has the four central characters again returning to Narnia to fight the forces of evil that are overwhelming the country. There, they meet the deposed Prince Caspian and assist him in the struggle to regain the throne.
The book starts out with Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy sitting at a railroad station getting ready to go back to school. Suddenly, they are tugged through time to an island near Narnia. It has only been a year since they had been pulled back to England, after having defeated the White Witch and become the rulers of Narnia.
Soon they save a dwarf named Trumpkin from being executed by King Miraz’s lackeys. Miraz, having murdered his brother, King Caspian, now rules Narnia, with a cold and calculating hand. The four children and Trumpkin walk to their old imperial palace at Cair Paravel and find it in ruins. This helps them see that hundreds of Narnian years have passed since their reign.
As the children try to understand what has happened, the childless King Miraz hires Dr. Cornelius to become the tutor for his nephew, Prince Caspian. Cornelius is half human and half dwarf and knows the history of Narnia, including the reigns of the four children.
While Miraz tolerates his successor, Prince Caspian, this changes when the queen gives birth to a son. Now Miraz plans to kill Prince Caspian. With his life in danger, the young prince flees into the forest, hotly pursued by Miraz’s henchmen.
The children learn of these terrible events and try to join the embattled Prince. As they attempt the journey, they realize they can’t do this on their own. Lucy, always the most sensitive of the four, wakes in the night and senses the presence of holiness. She knows it is Aslan, the ruler of the world. She looks for the beautiful lion and tries to rouse the others to follow her. But they think Lucy is making this up. They follow their own wills and problems begin.
Eventually, they drink in the fragrance of Aslan and allow him to lead them. A number of exciting adventures follow.
What happens during this clash of good and evil? Does Prince Caspian regain his throne? What happens to those practicing evil like King Miraz? Why is it so important to surround yourself with good thoughts and intentions? How does love conquer hate? Why is all of this not possible without the magnificent assistance of Aslan? Who does Aslan represent? To find out, go to the library and read this fine work, “Prince Caspian” by C.S. Lewis.
C.S. Lewis was a professor at Cambridge and Oxford. His close friend J.R.R. Tolkien, the author of “The Hobbit” and “The Lord of the Rings,” did not like the Narnia Chronicles. Lewis and Tolkien disagreed over the value of allegory in fiction. In allegory, a writer will create a fictional character or animal to symbolize the truth of the human condition. Tolkien did not favor allegory, whereas Lewis utilized it.
Fortunately, Lewis disregarded Tolkien’s advice and published the books. Ever since their publication, the Narnia Chronicles have been favorites of children worldwide. I hope you get a chance to read this excellent story. It will make you want to run into Aslan’s embrace. Enjoy!
On a recent cool, windy Friday morning, an elderly homeless man walked through our doors, asking for help. He had wandered the streets the night before and was desperate for help. He stated that because of his advanced age, he was taken advantage of by younger homeless men at a local shelter. He had nowhere to go.
While hearing his story from one of our staff members, I observed him eating some food we had given him in our front lobby. It was then that I introduced myself. He reiterated the story I had heard from our receptionist. At 75 years of age, I wondered if he had any children with whom he could stay. As it turned out, he had a daughter living in a small town in Kansas. He was confident he could stay with her. After calling the local bus station, I learned he could be with his daughter the next afternoon. He was elated when he learned we were willing to purchase a ticket for him to see his daughter. The relief on his wrinkled, gnarled face was noticeable. Because the bus left later that night, he spent the afternoon sleeping in our lobby and praying in our chapel.
On the way to the bus station, we stopped at a fast food restaurant and ordered a cheeseburger, fries, and large drink to go. He chose the cheeseburger that looked like a triple-decker bus but, after learning how much it cost, he changed his mind to a single-decker. After saying, “It’s OK,” that smile broke out once again. After arriving at the bus station, he was forced to jettison 5 pounds of stale pastries and odiferous salads from his overweight suitcase - not surprising for someone on the street. After a prayer and blessing, he expressed his appreciation with a look of relief on his face, for he would not have to wander the streets that night.
I am most appreciative to God that He has inspired our donors to be generous so we can help the countless needy individuals and families who come to our doors in crisis. Please always remember that we at Catholic Social Services will keep you, your family and intentions in our prayers!
Stay tuned to the next Seedlings for the rest of the story of my experience with this elderly man.
Twenty-six years ago, in the summer or early fall of 1990, I recall arriving at a Lincoln Right to Life meeting and being pulled aside by Mrs. Shirley Lang prior to the meeting. Mrs. Lang is a pro-life icon in Nebraska and served for many years on the board of the Nebraska Catholic Conference (NCC). Shirley had something to tell me and she was very excited about it. “The Bishops in Nebraska have created a new full-time position directing the pro-life efforts of the three dioceses… and I think you should apply,” she said.
I recall being very excited about the prospect of working full time in the pro-life movement. But I was also hesitant to apply since I had just changed jobs 6 or 7 months prior and wasn’t eager to change jobs again. After much consultation and prayer, and recognizing that such opportunities don’t come along very often, I decided to apply.
Weeks later, after going through the interview process, I received a letter from Jim Cunningham, long-time executive director of the NCC, offering me the position. As I read that letter, I remember feeling a bit overwhelmed and a little afraid at how this would change my life. But I also remember discerning that God was calling me to do something more meaningful with my life. I accepted the position.
Twenty-three years later I was privileged to be selected by the Nebraska Bishops to move from pro-life director to the executive director of the Nebraska Catholic Conference succeeding Jim Cunningham who had been in the position for nearly 40 years. I thought this new role was where God was calling me to serve for the foreseeable future.
Late last year, however, I was notified about the impending retirement of Richard Doerflinger as Associate Director of the Secretariat for Pro Life Activities at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in Washington, D.C., and was encouraged to apply for his position. Similar to my situation 25 years ago, I was hesitant to apply because of my recent change to become the executive director of NCC, but I discerned that this may be God knocking on my door again and to know for sure I needed to apply.
During the Octave of Easter I was notified by the USCCB that I had been selected as the new Associate Director to succeed Richard Doerflinger. Although the news was a bit overwhelming and scary, many signs gave me great peace that this move was God’s will for me and my wife Jacqueline.
Although I am excited to see where God is leading me and my wife in this new position and new home, there is certainly some heaviness in my heart contemplating leaving my home state of Nebraska, many family and friends, and the Bishops I have served for half of my life.
I want to thank the Bishops (current and past) who gave me this opportunity to build the Church’s pro-life program and office in Nebraska and for their unwavering support over the years. I had the privilege of serving three Ordinaries in each diocese. In Omaha: Archbishops Daniel E. Sheehan, Elden F. Curtiss and George J. Lucas. In Lincoln: Bishops Glennon P. Flavin, Fabian W. Bruskewitz and James D. Conley. In Grand Island: Bishops Lawrence J. McNamara, William J. Dendinger and Joseph G. Hanefeldt.
I want to thank the board members of the Nebraska Catholic Conference for their guidance and support as pro-life director and as executive director. I want to especially thank Mrs. Shirley Lang for seeking me out and urging me to apply for the pro-life director position.
I want to thank the numerous priests who served as diocesan pro-life directors and worked with me over these years. I want to give a very special thanks to the hundreds of parish pro-life coordinators whose amazing and dedicated service are essential to the success of our pro-life efforts in Nebraska. And I want to thank the Knights of Columbus and many other individual benefactors who generously provide financial assistance to the Bishops’ Pro Life Office and its programs.
The work of the Church and the people of Nebraska to proclaim the Gospel of Life will forever be in my thoughts and prayers. As my former pastor used to say to his parishioners, “pray for me, as I will for you, that we merrily meet in heaven!” God bless each of you!
“First Garden: The White House Garden and How It Grew,” by Robbin Gourley
Clarion Books, Boston, 2011, 36 pages, Grades 3-4.
When the United States was an agrarian society, people’s lives revolved around the growing season. School could only be for nine months each year because all the students were needed by their families to work on farms. One of the great blessings of this type of society was the knowledge everyone had about the value of food and the effort needed to raise foodstuffs.
As the country urbanized, there was less connection to the land and less consciousness about how food gets to the grocery store. Fortunately, as knowledge of the environment has grown, people have begun planting gardens and growing their own food. This is a good idea since the food is fresher and people begin understanding what it takes to grow crops. Mrs. Michelle Obama has taken a lead in trying to get Americans to eat a healthy diet. One of the projects she started was a vegetable and fruit garden on the South Lawn of the White House. Through this very public project, Mrs. Obama has shown the value of home gardening to Americans. Robbin Gourley has written an interesting book about this garden and other gardens throughout history at the White House. The name of this informative book is “First Garden: The White House Garden and How It Grew.”
Gardens at the White House have a long history. The second president, John Adams, planted the first vegetable garden at the White House. Thomas Jefferson, the third president added to this garden and grazed cattle on the South Lawn. Edith and Woodrow Wilson actually pastured a herd of sheep on the South Lawn during World War I. During the Second World War, Eleanor Roosevelt raised a famous Victory Garden at the White House. So Mrs. Obama was in good company with her idea of a vegetable and fruit garden. She gathered the White House gardeners and a group of school children to assist her.
To keep the historical continuity alive, she had plants donated from seeds developed 200 years ago by Thomas Jefferson. Knowing that plants need to be pollinated, Mrs. Obama directed that a bee hive be placed nearby. After planting and hoeing, she and the school children sat back and eagerly awaited for the garden to grow. What happened?
What kind of vegetables grew in the garden? Could seeds descending from the plants of President Jefferson thrive in a garden during President Obama’s term? Why did the First Lady have such an interest in this project? How many pounds of honey did the bees make with all those plants nearby? What problems did the presidential helicopter cause for the bees? Have you ever grown any vegetables? How did it feel to eat the first tomato or apple that you harvested? To find out what happened to Mrs. Obama’s White House garden go to the library and check out this fine title, “First Garden: The White House Garden and How It Grew,” by Robbin Gourley.
This is an interesting title showing First Lady Michelle Obama modeling the interesting hobby of gardening and growing healthy foods. There are interesting historical antidotes and a surprising number of uses of the products of the First Garden at state dinners. Mrs. Obama is to be complimented on her dedication to a healthy life style and her perception that families need to sit down together and share meals. I hope you get a chance to checkout this fine book and use some of its ideas in your own lives. Perhaps you can help your children to raise some vegetables themselves. Then they will really understand what “bon appetit” means. Enjoy!
Last week, the Universal Church celebrated the memorial of St. Catherine of Siena, virgin and doctor of the Church. She lived as a third order Dominican during the 14th century, in which multiple outbreaks of the plague occurred. So devastating was this for her family, half of her siblings died, including her twin.
In one of her works entitled, Dialogue On Divine Providence, she wrote that the more she searched for the Triune God, the more she found, and the more she found, the more she searched. This led to an ever-increasing hunger for God Almighty.
She wrote, “When you fill my soul I have an even greater hunger, and I grow more famished in your light. I desire above all to see you, the true light, as you really are.”
Regarding the Blessed Sacrament, she said, “The food of angels, you gave yourself to man in the fire of your love.”
Excelling in the love of God, she was well aware of the two kinds of hunger: physical and spiritual. She spent her entire life helping those around her find satisfaction for both. This is the goal of Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska.
Recently, I had a conversation with a homeless man who sleeps under the bridges near our main office. He has been an almost daily recipient of our sandwich program. In addition, he has spent time in our St. Joseph Chapel containing the Bread of Angels, the Most Blessed Sacrament. Because of the love he has received from Jesus in the chapel and our staff, he now wants to sit down and talk further about his struggles and desire to change his behavior in order to escape homelessness. It is our goal to address not only his physical, but his spiritual hunger as well.
Recently one of the “God-teen” groups from Cathedral of the Risen Christ Parish in Lincoln conducted a food drive for Catholic Social Services. I was amazed at the sheer amount of food collected. This, along with the nearly 14,000 pounds of food collected from the many parishes and schools across the diocese from our annual Lenten food drive, will help us continue helping address the physical hunger of the many needy individuals and families that come to us in crisis like the homeless man described above. This will give us an opportunity to address at the same time the spiritual hunger we all have, which is only satisfied by God Himself. Please know that we at CSS will keep ALL of our supporters in our daily prayers. St. Catherine of Siena, pray for us!
“Treason: A Catholic Novel of Elizabethan England” by Dena Hunt
Sophia Institute Press, Manchester, N.H., 2013, 184 pages, grades 8 and higher.
During the late 1500s Queen Elizabeth I brutally forced the English people to join the religion she had deemed appropriate, the Anglican Church. Anyone not worshipping at the altar the Queen had erected was subject to fines, imprisonment, brutal punishments and capital punishment.
Elizabeth hated Catholics with a particular vehemence and hunted them down with secret police. The priest-catchers then split all monies, land and properties they confiscated from the victims with the Queen. After having her cake and eating it too, Elizabeth usually had the Catholics executed. The Queen basically decreed that all Englishmen had to profess the Anglican religion to be considered patriots. If you refused the Anglican Church, you were a traitor to the country.
Dena Hunt has written a chilling novel about these dreadful times in England. The name of the book is “Treason: A Catholic Novel of Elizabethan England.”
In the spring of 1581, a small craft is quickly rowed to the southern coast of England. A young man, Father Stephen Long, jumps from the boat, landing in the sand. Turning to the two grizzled sailors rowing the craft, he imparts his priestly blessing. With a quick smile they both say “Adieu, Pere, now hurry.”(p.8)
With this, the young priest, disguised in work clothes, makes his way to the nearest town. Since Queen Elizabeth has declared that all Catholic priests and lay faithful practicing the faith are traitors to England, the priest must proceed with great caution.
But even in these brutal times, the Catholic religion is still treasured by many. Father Long quickly meets an underground network of faithful Catholics and is taken to a safe house. He is temporarily safe. But the henchmen of the Queen prowl the entire length and breadth of England seeking Catholics refusing to accept the state religion.
Queen Elizabeth has the cunning of her mother Anne Boleyn and the brutality of her father, Henry VIII. This causes her relentless, remorseless attack on anyone opposing her in religious matters. Her cunning is most shown in the impoverishing fines she imposes on the “recusants,” Catholics refusing to attend Anglican services. This way she eventually gains all their money and traumatizes other Catholics thinking about disobeying her. The brutality is shown by her hunting down priests like Father Long and then torturing and executing them. But many recusants refuse to obey the Queen and are involved in hiding Father Long while he quickly celebrates Mass and hears confessions.
However, as the pressures from the Crown mount, wavering people see that it is in their interest to join the religion of “good Queen Bess.” The priest-catchers soon begin to focus on the families shielding Father Long and are aided by informants. They lurk about and then violently spring their trap. What happens?
Is Father Long captured and executed by Queen Elizabeth? What happens to those helping him minister to the frightened Catholics in England? What would it be like to have an evil queen making life and death decisions about religion? How should people act? How do the people of England respond? To find out the answers to these questions, go to the library or simply purchase the book, “Treason” by Dena Hunt.
While the first part of this book is somewhat slow, the climax is gripping. Hunt portrays some people just going with the current to avoid problems with Elizabeth’s government. But she also shows people acting with heroic love and courage in the face of brutal religious subjugation. Though this novel is set about 430 years ago, the issues underlying the book are disturbingly modern. Let us all pray for the grace of perseverance.
A little over two years ago, the past president of the Lincoln Diocesan Council of Catholic Women (LDCCW), Ann Jansky, pulled me aside at one of their meetings and informed me she wanted to make St. Gianna’s her president’s project. I was, of course, elated. She had a dream- one that was recently realized because of the love and generosity of the members of the LDCCW.
Her dream was that each Parish Council of Catholic Women (PCCW) would, over the course of her two-year term, collect enough items to furnish and outfit an apartment or home (minus the furniture) and bring them to the convention. This includes bedding, pillows, kitchenware, wastebaskets, crockpots, coffeemakers – literally anything it takes to make a house or apartment a home. The idea was born in her mind after hearing that most of the ladies that come to St. Gianna’s escaping abortion and domestic violence do so with virtually nothing and leave with everything needed to run a household.
When I saw the items collected, I was overwhelmed. Then later when a resident at St. Gianna’s talked to the ladies gathered in the parish hall, they were overwhelmed at hearing her story… a story that has culminated in her entering the Catholic Church. She herself was tearful as she related her story and that she and her children are now safe and sound at St. Gianna’s. Then, Sisters Karen Eden and Carol Hohmeier talked to the ladies about the services that St. Gianna’s offers. When it was my turn to talk, I reiterated my gratitude to Ann and all of the members of the LDCCW.
If this was not enough, I was presented with checks from the various deaneries across the diocese totaling nearly $15,000. I once again was overwhelmed by the love and generosity of the ladies of the LDCCW. This money is vital for the women and their children at St. Gianna’s for they live there rent free.
Yes, Ann had a dream, one that was realized because of the love of God present in the ladies of the LDCCW. Please know that we at CSS and St. Gianna’s will keep the ladies of the LDCCW, their families and intentions in our prayers. St. Gianna, pray for us!
The Nebraska Legislature is nearly finished with its 2016 session and, regrettably, several pro-life bills will fail to be enacted. In 2015, two pro-life bills (LB 114 and LB 187) were introduced but did not advance from the Judiciary Committee. Both bills carried over to the 2016 session but again received no action by the Judiciary Committee, despite LB 114 being designated a priority bill by its sponsor, Sen. Beau McCoy.
In 2016, four more pro-life bills were introduced, and three of them failed to advance to the finish line. LB 767 would have banned “dismemberment” abortions, LB 768 would have created a “Choose Life” license plate and LB 990 would have prohibited the selling of fetal tissue for “valuable consideration.” More information on these bills is available online at www.necatholic.org.
The one pro-life bill that was enacted into law was probably least well known, LB 891, introduced by Sen. Lydia Brasch. The bill creates the Down Syndrome Diagnosis and Information Act to require health care facilities and practitioners to give a Down syndrome specific information sheet to parents when a test result indicates the unborn or newly born baby tested has or may have Down syndrome.
Down syndrome is the most common chromosomal condition in humans and the most common genetic cause of intellectual disability. Tragically, studies reveal that as many as 90 percent of babies diagnosed with Down syndrome are aborted. A lack of accurate and complete information likely contributes significantly to this high rate of abortion.
One of the testifiers at the public hearing on LB 891conducted by the Legislature’s Health and Human Services Committee was Angela Willey, a mother of a child with Down syndrome. She witnessed powerfully to the pressures and biases parents encounter when they receive such a diagnosis.
“I was told that since my son had fluid around his heart there was a good chance he would miscarry or be stillborn. We made an appointment with a pediatric cardiologist who determined that he only had a small hole in his heart, and that overall his heart was in pretty good shape. However, since the window in which we could terminate was quickly closing, the majority of the information we were provided, emphasized the worst-case scenario of medical risks associated with Trisomy 21 and was biased toward termination.
“Without any positive support from medical professionals to guide us, I turned to the internet for information. It took a couple days of searching to find resources that felt trustworthy and accurate, especially when we were feeling pressured to make a decision.
“However, one website that kept drawing me back included the smiling faces of about 20 individuals with Trisomy 21. It was confusing to us since the picture given to us by the medical professionals seemed so negative. I remember thinking how happy they all seemed.
“Unfortunately, after speaking to other parents of children with Down syndrome, we have learned that many received outdated and biased information when first hearing about the diagnosis. Words such as ‘challenge,’ ‘risk,’ ‘burden’ and ‘termination’ still tend to dominate the conversations. If these words are going to be used, in order to bring the picture into focus, words like ‘achievement,’ ‘rewarding,’ ‘blessing’ and ‘acceptance’ deserve to be added to the conversation.
“Individuals with Down syndrome are breaking stereotypes every day, thanks to supportive families, early intervention and inclusive learning environments. They often have to practice more and work harder to learn new skills, but the wait and extra effort make every milestone a cause for celebration. There are individuals with Trisomy 21, who have active social lives, actively participate in the workforce, live independently, drive cars, get married, and enjoy life. This picture of what life could be like for an individual with Down syndrome was never shared with us by medical professionals.”
Tom Venzor, associate director for pro-life and family at the Nebraska Catholic Conference, was instrumental in proposing this legislation and in coalescing support for it. In his testimony at the public hearing, Venzor said the “Catholic Church has a strong tradition of solidarity with those who experience a disability, whether that involves tending to spiritual needs, assisting with material needs, accompanying families in need of additional support systems, or advocating on public policy matters.
“This solidarity,” he continued, “is born out of an imitation of Jesus Christ whose ministry constantly reached out to ‘the least among us,’ especially those marginalized by society. This service of charity highlights the inherent dignity of each person as created in the image and likeness of God.”
I am confident that this seemingly modest bill that sailed through our Legislature with no opposition and little fanfare, will save lives and will increase the opportunities for these precious souls to make our society more human.
“This Strange Wilderness: The Life and Art of John James Audubon” by Nancy Plain
University of Nebraska Press, Lincoln, Neb., 2015, 112 pages, grades 5-8.
The Audubon Society is famous for its beautiful studies in ornithology (the study of birds.) Much of the knowledge that exists on North American birds comes from this famed society. This organization is named after the outstanding artist/writer, John James Audubon.
Nancy Plain tells the remarkable story of Audubon’s life in this biography published by the University of Nebraska Press. She includes numerous paintings from Audubon’s many travels seeking to capture all of the birds of North America. The name of this fine book is “This Strange Wilderness: The Life and Art of John James Audubon.”
John James Audubon was born on the French island of Haiti on April 26, 1785. His father is a prominent owner of a sugar plantation. The Haitian economy is based on slavery, and the elder Audubon is a slave owner. Eventually, the Haitians rebel against this evil system and the Audubons return to the safety of France. Their timing is unfortunate, as the French Revolution has just exploded with a vengeance.
Seeking to stay away from the guillotine and the Reign of Terror in Paris, the Audubons live quietly in western France. There, in relative peace, young James begins painting and sketching birds. He is a perfectionist and is never quite happy with his drawings. As a result, he burns most of his art. But young Audubon is also persistent and continues to draw and investigate the natural world.
But Napoleon next disturbs the Audubon family, and Mr. Audubon, not wishing to see his son become cannon fodder for Napoleon’s next covetous dream, sends young James to the United States.
Arriving in 1803, John excitedly sees the New World. He is astounded to witness the immense variety of wildlife in the United States and determines to become a great painter of birds. Most of the pictures in the great ornithological books of the age are drawn from other paintings in books. Audubon finds these pictures to be stiff and uninspiring. He makes the decision that will set him on his life work. He will go to the fields, lakes, swamps and plains that the birds inhabit to gain his images. He will draw his pictures in realistic and lifelike situations. By the end of his amazing studies, Audubon will have painted 489 species of American birds and published them in the renowned four-volume set, “Birds of America,” and then a fifth volume named “Ornithological Biography.” How did he do it?
How was it possible to so brilliantly capture so many species of birds in North America? What effect did this great effort have on Audubon’s health and family life? How did his family support him during the difficult times in his studies?
Do you like birds? Why does the State of Nebraska have whooping cranes passing through twice a year? Why did the United States wake up to the threat to bald eagles? Can one man make such a difference? The answer is yes. To find out how John James Audubon made this marvelous contribution to preserving the natural world, go to the library and check out Nancy Plain’s well-written book featuring many of Audubon’s most famous pictures.
Audubon’s paintings are some of the most beautiful works of art ever drawn of wildlife. If you have never seen them, please go to the library and check out this book. As well, encourage your middle school students to read about this great man. Nancy Plain tells the life and work of John James Audubon with simple eloquence. It is a great tale and I hope you encourage the members of your family to read this book. The pictures are breathtaking. Enjoy!
Not long ago, we assisted a woman with small children relocate from one part of the diocese to another, to escape her violent husband who had threatened to kill her. The move happened while he was incarcerated. Because of the generosity of our benefactors, we were able to help her move to a safe place away from her abuser.
At the beginning of the school year, Billie Kollars, the CCD coordinator at Saints Mary and Joseph parish in Valparaiso, had a great idea to help the students learn the difference between faith that is alive and faith that is dead (see James chapter 2). She suggested making and raffling a quilt for St. Gianna Women’s Homes.
With the help of some ladies in the parish who are trained in the art of quilting, they helped create and stitch a beautiful quilt which was raffled the weekend of April 9 and 10. Tickets were sold after each Mass for one dollar. The total collected was $311- a nice haul for a top quality quilt. The first and second place ticket sellers were Cassie Osmera and Marissa Jensen.
I would like to thank Msgr. Paul Witt, Billie Kollars, and the CCD teachers for their support. Thank you also to the students and ladies who worked so hard in making a beautiful quilt for the benefit of the women who come to us with their children escaping abortion and domestic violence. This is truly an example of living faith, faith formed with charity.
Please know that we at Catholic Social Services and St. Gianna Women’s Homes will not only keep all who were involved in this project in our prayers but also all of our supporters who help us love Jesus who is present in a special way in the poor and needy especially during this Easter Season.
“The Boys in the Boat: The True Story of an American Team’s Epic Journey to Win Gold at the 1936 Olympics” by Daniel James Brown
Viking Press, New York, 2015, 227 pages. Grades 5-7.
An assertion of individuality has always been part of the American character. Traditionally, Americans have been taught that anything can be achieved through hard work and dedication.
The positive result of this philosophy is that Americans take chances and achieve success in situations that would be unheard of in some societies. However, there is a negative aspect in this thinking. By relying so much on ourselves, we sometimes are not able to work in groups or even see that groups can help and protect us. Daniel Brown has written an outstanding account of both of these types of thinking in his outstanding study of the 1936 American Olympic rowing team. The title of this excellent book is “The Boys in the Boat.”
The author, Daniel James Brown, met an elderly man as he lay dying in his modest home. He only knew that the man, Joe Rantz, had built a half-mile long fence next to his house and that he had won the gold medal in the 1936 Olympics. As he listens to the gentle whispers about Joe’s life, he was transported back to 1933 and the boat house on the University of Washington’s campus.
1933 is a brutal time in American history. The Great Depression is destroying the social fabric of the society and a sense of hopelessness hangs over the country. Joe Rantz, abandoned by his family at the age of 15, is forced to make a life in the hard times.
To do this, he becomes self-sufficient. Since there is no one to help him, he learns to rely on himself. After learning in the college of hard knocks, Joe enrolls in the University of Washington a few years later. An excellent athlete, Joe learns that those making the rowing team get a tuition break and are allowed to eat at the school cafeteria.
Of course it would help to know something about rowing, so Joe throws himself into the rowing exercises and gradually turns himself into an outstanding rower. The Washington coach, Al Ulbrickson, believes the rowing team has enough athletes to compete in the Olympics. The trouble is that his best team, including Joe, does not know how to work as a team. He knows that the sum is always greater than the parts, but his rowers are too stubborn to understand this.
Finally, the Washington team figures it out and makes the Berlin Olympics. But the Nazi Party tries to sabotage the Americans in the final race by forcing them to row through the wind and waves of the outside lanes, while their German team rows by the sheltered banks. As the race begins, people all over America strain to hear the outcome on their radios. What happens?
Does the American team overcome the deliberate tricks of the Nazi officials? What happens when a team member is belatedly told by his family that they are all Jewish? Do all these individualistic Americans finally work together? What finally happens during the race for the gold that can only be described as spiritual? To find out the answers to these questions, go to the library and read this exciting and moving story, “The Boys in the Boat,” by Daniel Brown.
This is an adolescent version of the adult book “The Boys in the Boat.” It is a well-written, exciting story. The Olympic race described in the story is thrilling. This is simply a marvelous book telling of the physical and moral development of nine young men. I hope you get the chance to read the book and to encourage the younger members of your family to do the same. It can’t be beat. Enjoy!
When love is absent on the part of one or both of the parties in a relationship, it is destined to fail. Recently, somewhere south of the Platte River in the Diocese of Lincoln, a woman was forced to leave her abusive husband. She suffered terribly from physical, verbal and psychological abuse.
After mustering the courage to finally leave, she enlisted the help of the sheriff’s department to retrieve her clothing and personal belongings. She found her clothes slashed and kitchenware destroyed. So overwhelmed with grief, she became ill, most likely caused by the psychological trauma, and was unable to work. After collecting her last paycheck, her car broke down.
In the midst of profound despair, she found out about Catholic Social Services. After helping her with the laundry list outlined above, she now is filled with hope, confident she will be able to make it on her own.
In Father Donald Haggerty’s latest book entitled, “The Contemplative Hunger,” he states, “There will always be souls who meet the poor at some point in their lives and find in the encounter, whether they realize it or not, an invitation to a permanent search for God. They are unable to leave the poor alone once the real misery of a poor person has pierced their soul.”
When reading these words, I reflected on the countless donors I have met and have known over the years. Once they see in the concrete what happens after a generous gift, whether material, financial or both, they become ‘hooked,’ and become regular supporters, all for motivations of love… the love of God present in their neighbor.
At our last “Bountiful Harvest” banquet held in Hastings, Connie and Larry Consbruck purchased a gourmet, multi-course meal on the silent auction. With the assistance of my administrative assistant, Pat Walbrecht, we drove to their beautiful home and served a meal with a Czech theme (except for the many flavors of gelato and sorbetto we transported in our portable freezer!). The proceeds, of course, were used to help individuals like the woman who was mentioned above.
I would like to thank the Consbrucks and ALL of our donors who support Catholic Social Services for no other reason than their love of God. Please never forget that our benefactors remain in our daily prayers and Masses.
The Nebraska Legislature’s 2016 session is quickly coming to an end. Tuesday, March 29 marked the 50th legislative day leaving just 10 more legislative days remaining in this year’s session. What follows is a brief report on a couple of bills of interest to the Nebraska Catholic Conference that were debated last week.
LB 690 Introduced by Sen. Adam Morfeld, this bill removes the prohibition on eligibility for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for persons who have three or more felony convictions for possession or use of a controlled substance or have been convicted of a felony involving the sale or distribution of a controlled substance.
Under current law, only individuals with such drug convictions are prohibited from access to food assistance under SNAP after serving their sentences. The Nebraska Catholic Conference supported this bill because adequate and nutritious food is a fundamental human right and a basic need that is integral to protecting the life and dignity of the human person.
Eliminating access to SNAP for people who have at some point in their lifetime committed certain crimes is counterproductive to successful re-entry into society and is an affront to human dignity. Persons who have paid their debt to society and their families should not be penalized for the sins of the past, especially by withholding food assistance.
LB 690 was advanced to the full Legislature by the Health and Human Services Committee but was not designated as a priority bill. In a short legislative session, most bills that are not prioritized do not get debated so LB 690 was amended to LB 910, a Judiciary Committee priority bill, during first round of debate by the full Legislature.
When the bill came up for second round debate, it hit a buzz saw of opposition by a handful of senators and the Governor. A filibuster of the bill ensued and a motion for cloture (to stop the filibuster) fell short of the 33 votes necessary to be successful.
Voting for cloture (NCC’s position) were the following senators: Baker, Campbell, Chambers, Coash, Cook, Crawford, Davis, Garrett, Gloor, Haar, Hadley, Hansen, Harr, Hilkemann, Howard, Kolowski, Krist, Larson, McCollister, Mello, Morfeld, Pansing-Brooks, Schilz, Schumacher, Seiler, Stinner, Sullivan, Williams.
Voting against cloture were these senators: Craighead, Fox, Friesen, Groene, Hughes, Johnson, Kintner, Kolterman, Kuehn, Lindstrom, McCoy, Murante, Riepe, Schnoor, Watermeier. Present but not voting were Senators Bloomfield, Bolz, Brasch, Smith. Senators Ebke and Scheer were excused.
LB 586 Introduced last year by Sen. Adam Morfeld, this bill would have made “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” protected classifications under Nebraska’s employment laws. The Nebraska Catholic Conference opposed this bill because it would force employers (including the Church and its institutions) to affirm sexual behavior and relationships that contradict the moral teachings of our faith, as well as the destructive concept that one’s nature as male or female is a social identity that one can change at will.
LB 586 was debated several hours last year before being pulled from the agenda due to lack of support. However, the bill carried over to this year’s session and was re-prioritized by Sen. Morfeld. It was debated four more hours last week before being “bracketed” (killed) by a vote of 26-18.
Senators voting to kill LB 586 (NCC’s position) were: Bloomfield, Brasch, Craighead, Davis, Ebke, Friesen, Garrett, Groene, Hilkemann, Hughes, Johnson, Kintner, Kolterman, Krist, Kuehn, McCoy, Murante, Riepe, Scheer, Schnoor, Seiler, Smith, Stinner, Sullivan, Watermeier, Williams.
Senators voting against killing the bill were: Baker, Bolz, Campbell, Chambers, Coash, Cook, Crawford, Gloor, Haar, Hadley, Harr, Howard, Kolowski, Larson, McCollister, Mello, Morfeld, Pansing-Brooks.
“An Ambush of Tigers: A Wild Gathering of Collective Nouns”
by Betsy R. Rosenthal, illustrated by Jago
Millbrook Press, Minneapolis, 2015, 32 pages, grades 2-4.
Teaching grammar is difficult for most teachers. First of all, grammar is not all that exciting to begin with. Second, it is complicated. Finally, many students find the subject very boring. So it is important to find children’s literature capable of inspiring children in their study of the parts of speech and writing.
Betsy Rosenthal has written a witty, interesting picture book about collective nouns. These nouns denote groups or gatherings of animals. Many collective nouns are colorful and descriptive. Rosenthal writes in rhyming four couplets. The name of this delightful book is “An Ambush of Tigers: A Wild Gathering of Collective Nouns.”
The story begins in a jungle with many animals and birds running across or flying over the verdant plains. Rosenthal asks a question as the book begins: “Do you ever wonder what animals do when they gather in groups of more than two?” On turning the page, readers will see a tower of giraffes looking down on a raft of otters floating in a stream.
Next, “leaps of leopards jump through trees while armies of herring march in the seas.” This is followed by a pack of wolves and a cast of hawks. Readers will soon understand that the word (noun) before the word “of” is the collective noun and holds the key to understanding the writing and the illustration.
Many names for the animals are cleverly drawn by the illustrator for a double effect. For example, the sharks are wrapped in scarves and winter hats because the collective noun for sharks is “shiver.” The pheasants are colorfully displayed in a vase resembling flowers because a group is known as a “bouquet.”
More and more animals tumble from the pages as readers encounter a clutter of cats, a flush of mallards, a murder of crows and a stand of flamingos. The animals continue to make us laugh as they drive buses, solve crimes and even do the rumba. What other actions do the animals carry out?
Why are skunks and gorillas on the same page in the story? What are the lizards doing at the poolside? Are there any groups that you would like to join? What name would you give them? To find out all of the collective nouns for the animal groups, go to the library and check out this entertaining picture book, “An Ambush of Tigers: A Wild Gathering of Collective Nouns” by Betsy Rosenthal.
This book is pure fun with an educational purpose. While my favorite illustration in children’s literature is Jan Brett’s painting of the sleeping Goldilocks, this book simply has the coolest picture I have encountered in the field of children’s literature. Just a hint, it has something to do with the title.
This is a book to be shared with the younger members of your family. As well, the story works well to tell about collective nouns. Each collective noun used by Rosenthal is accurate for each set of animals.
I hope you take the opportunity to read this delightful, funny book. Just be careful, one group is waiting in ambush. Enjoy!
In Father Donald Haggerty’s second book on contemplative prayer called “The Contemplative Hunger,” published by Ignatius Press, he talks about the connection between the development of contemplative prayer and love for the poor.
For those who study the lives of the saints, this is not a surprise, for they all share two common characteristics – the love for contemplative prayer and of the poor. Each one of these leads to each other without a distinct border. Contemplative prayer leads to communion with God and His presence in the poor, while contact with the needy leads to communion with God Who is present in them in a special way.
In the beginning of the chapter entitled “The Contemplative and the Poor,” he states, “The mysterious presence of the Lord in the poor man draws the beginnings of a hunger in the soul that is not realized at first but soon becomes evident. It is an initial encounter, as the Eucharist itself is, with the sacred mystery of God’s presence.”
Over the years at Catholic Social Services, I have seen this play out in our staff, volunteers and our benefactors. Many of them have either become interested in helping the poor after developing serious prayer lives or have developed serious prayer lives after having developed a love for needy individuals and families.
And no surprise to me, a common thread is an intense love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. There is an inseparable link between a genuine love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and to His special presence in the destitute.
Father Haggerty goes on the say, “Holiness may never, in fact, permit exception to the demand for some form of personal contact with the poor.”
Those who are used to helping the poor know that the demands of charity are sometimes inconvenient. We are often interrupted. Father Haggerty goes on to say that those who have regular contact with the poor and needy sometimes feel our Lord saying during an encounter with a person in crisis, “I am here!”
Just before Easter, I found myself in a hurry for a meeting and encountered, in our parking lot, a family with small children in their car who had recently moved to Lincoln from a state over a thousand miles away. They were fortunate to have found employment, but were days away from their first paychecks. They were in desperate need of a tank of gas. I knew I had to drop everything and drive to a nearby gas station and purchase for them a tank of gas. As a priest, I encouraged them to get to church on Easter. They drove away grateful.
During this Easter Season, please consider helping us spiritually by praying for our mission of loving Jesus in the poor and needy across southern Nebraska, materially by donating items around your home or farm not needed, and financially with a cash donation according to your means so we can continue to help those who come to us in need. If you feel the Holy Spirit inspiring you to help us as a volunteer, please contact us.
Please know that you, your family and intentions are in our prayers!
“I Have Lived a Thousand Years: Growing Up in the Holocaust,” by Livia Bitton-Jackson
Simon-Pulse, New York, 1997, 234 pages, Grades 8-12.
When times become extremely troubled, simplistic answers are frequently sought. One of the first reactions that happens is that some group is “scapegoated”: in ancient Israel, a goat was brought into camp and all the sins of the people were put upon the animal. After that, the goat was driven into the desert and a likely death.
In the 1930’s, Hitler blamed Germany’s problems on the Jews, Gypsies and other groups. This scapegoating gave targets of ridicule and hatred to a frightened country: now there was someone to blame for all their problems.
As the Nazis overran nearby countries, they imposed their hatreds on the newly-conquered nations. One country was Hungary and every Jewish person in the land was targeted for extinction. Livia Bitton-Jackson tells the grueling story of her survival during the Holocaust in her autobiography, “I Have Lived a Thousand Years: Growing Up in the Holocaust.”
Like many Jewish-Hungarian girls, Livia lives in a close family of prosperous merchants. The family practices the faith and live virtuous lives. In March, 1944, the Nazi Government decides that the Jewish population in Hungary needs to be annihilated. Livia quickly sees her life change from one of familial protection to one of brutal oppression. All the Jews in her hometown are expelled by the German government and eventually are deported to concentration camps.
Within a matter of weeks, Livia’s life changes from a 13-year-old going to school, to a terrified teenager facing “selection” at Auschwitz.
She is selected to live by the infamous Dr. Mengele because she has pretty blonde hair. He even gives her a tip on how to avoid being selected: Mengele tells Livia to say she is 16. Sixteen-year-olds are not sent to the gas chambers, so the evil doctor has given her a clue how to trick his own SS unit. However, her dark-haired aunt is sent to the gas chambers when Mengele rules her unfit for life.
Livia documents the terrible things that she witnesses at Auschwitz. She learns to avoid execution and most tortures by not antagonizing the guards or the SS officers. Her one overwhelming desire is to survive the death camps. For the next year Livia and her mother and brother are sent to a number of concentration camps. But she doesn’t know what has happened to her father and other family members.
How does Livia survive the hell in which she is placed? Why do some people survive and other people don’t? Why is this such a difficult problem for Livia? And finally, why does she wonder if those who died were the lucky ones? To find out the answers to these questions, go to the library and check out this gripping, painful account of Livia Bitton’s life in the concentration camps.
This is not a story for the faint of heart. However, it is a history that must be remembered and this autobiography was awarded the 1998 Christopher Medal that “affirms the highest values of the human spirit.”
On March 14, the House of Representatives voted 393-0 to condemn ISIS for “War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity and Genocide.” Nebraska Representative Jeff Fortenberry introduced this measure (Resolution 75) and successfully shepherded it through Congress. The Chaldean Rite Catholics and the Yezidis in Iraq have been annihilated by ISIS for the last several years because of their refusal to convert to Islam. The Chaldean Catholics have existed since the Apostolic Age and still celebrate Mass in Aramaic (the language spoken by Jesus). In an age when too many “Catholic” politicians waffle on religious matters, Rep. Fortenberry is to be congratulated on his courageous stance for the faith. I hope you encourage the older children in your family to read this compelling autobiography.
“Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food’” (Mt 25:34-35).
Recently, we helped a frightened woman who had escaped from the violent man who held her hostage in a closet for over a week without food.
After escaping, she was overwhelmed after moving into St. Gianna’s. In addition to living there rent-free, we will supply her with the food she needs for her new kitchen, decked out with the donations from our benefactors. When she graduates from St. Gianna’s, she will be able to take with her the plates and kitchenware she will need for her new home post-Gianna’s.
Until then, she is safe and sound. We will also be able to help furnish her new home with the donated furniture and appliances from our loving supporters.
Every Lent, multiple parishes and schools across the diocese participate in our annual Lenten Food drive. This year, 2,844 pounds were collected by the participating schools and 2,705 pounds were collected by the participating parishes for a total of 5,549 pounds collected. I cannot tell you how much this helps us in our mission of loving Jesus, who is present in the poor and needy in a special way.
I would like to thank everyone who participated in this year’s successful Lenten food drive. I cannot begin to tell you how grateful we are, as are the beneficiaries of your hard work and efforts.
As we bask in the Easter season graces, please help us spiritually with your prayers and penances, materially with items around your homes and farms not needed, including vehicles (many of the ladies at St. Gianna’s desperately need them), and financially, with a cash donation according to your means, so we can continue our mission of feeding, clothing, housing – literally loving Jesus in the countless individuals and families who come to us in crisis.
Please know that we at Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska will keep you, your family and intentions in daily prayers this Easter Season when we celebrate the definitive victory by Jesus Christ over sin and death.
“Then the king will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food’” (Mt 25:34-35).
The United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments March 23 in a case that will decide whether the federal government can force an order of Catholic nuns—the Little Sisters of the Poor—to provide contraceptive drugs and devices, abortifacients and sterilizations in their benefit plan. The Little Sisters provide nursing home care for more than 13,000 poor elderly people around the world.
No, you are not in the twilight zone. The Obama Administration really wants to force the Little Sisters—along with numerous other religious institutions the Administration deems not to be religious enough to qualify for the “religious exemption” from its “HHS contraceptive mandate”—to violate their religious beliefs.
In addition to the Little Sisters’ case, there are 55 more non-profit cases filed by religious institutions that failed to meet the Administration’s religion test to be exempted from the mandate. The Supreme Court agreed to consolidate six of these cases along with the Little Sisters case: Houston Baptist and East Texas Baptist Universities, Priests for Life, South Nazarene University, Geneva College, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington and the Dioceses of Pittsburgh and Erie.
The Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which is representing the Little Sisters (and other plaintiffs) in Court, has an enormous amount of information about all of the challenges to the HHS mandate at www.becketfund.org and www.thelittlesistersofthepoor.com. Becket recently provided the following facts about the Little Sisters’ case that punctuate the extreme and punitive nature of the mandate:
- First, 1 in 3 Americans do not have a plan that is subject to the mandate HHS is fighting so hard to force on the Little Sisters.
- Second, Exxon, Chevron, and Pepsi—as well as other large corporations—are exempt from the mandate, because they never changed their plans and are grandfathered.
- Third, the government is not even requiring our own US military—the largest employer in the nation—to provide these services through their family insurance.
- Fourth, this case does not endanger or affect the Affordable Care Act (aka Obamacare). It only deals with a regulation created by an agency—Health and Human Services—which would force the Sisters to provide services like the week after pill, ella, to its employees.
- Fifth, the government is arguing that since it has offered to reimburse the costs of the services it wants the Little Sisters to provide, they should have no moral objection to offering them. The Little Sisters are saying this is not about money, but conscience, and whether they should be forced to change their healthcare plan to offer services they have a moral objection to when those services could be provided more effectively through the government’s healthcare exchange.
- Sixth, if the Little Sisters do not provide these services, the government is threatening to fine them with $70 million in fines per year.
- Seventh, the Little Sisters are focused on service to the elderly. They exhausted every possible option before going to Court.
- Eighth, the Little Sisters are not trying to prevent the government from providing these services, but object to the government’s insisting the Little Sisters provide them (especially since the government has already refused to ensure that those free services are provided to one in three Americans).
In June 2014, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that the Obama Administration’s contraception/abortifacient/ sterilization mandate violates the religious freedom of Hobby Lobby and other for-profit family-owned or “closely held corporations.” Hopefully, the Court will come to the same conclusion for the Little Sisters of the Poor and other non-profit religious institutions. Let’s join in prayer that the Holy Spirit will guide the minds and hearts of the United States Supreme Court.
Easter is the summit of the Christian Faith. Since the Fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, mankind had been estranged from God by original sin. This vast chasm could not be bridged by human effort.
After the Fall, all that we are left with is the promise of salvation. Without this promise there would have been no hope. While Christ was born at Christmas, it is at Easter that He drinks the cup offered by the Father for our salvation and redemption. This makes Easter the greatest event that will ever happen in human history.
Elizabeth Winthrop has primarily used parts of the Passion Account by St. Matthew and several verses from St. Luke’s Gospel to tell the story of Christ’s suffering, death and resurrection. The book is entitled “He is Risen: The Easter Story.”
All of the Evangelists had many facts and stories about Our Lord’s Passion available to them. The Holy Spirit inspired them to choose certain details of these holy events, guided their writing and protected them from error. St. Matthew’s Gospel holds a particular power for the faithful. St. Matthew, the tax collector, is likely to have been the most educated of all the Apostles. As a result, his gospel is particularly filled with details of the Last Supper, the Institution of the Holy Eucharist, the arrest, trial and crucifixion of Jesus. Only St. Matthew relates that Pontius Pilate’s wife wrote him a letter urging him to have nothing to do with the trial of Our Lord.
Additionally, St. Matthew alone relates Pilate washing his hands in front of the Jewish mob. As Jesus is dying, St. Matthew recounts Our Blessed Savior praying Psalm 22 which begins with the words: “My God, My God why have You abandoned Me.”
After the earthquake following Christ’s death, the pagan Roman centurion tells us that Jesus “Truly, this was the Son of God.” (Mt 27:54)
The artwork in Winthrop’s rendition of St. Matthew’s Gospel is dark brown and somber. However, the colors become lighter as the women go to the tomb on Easter morning and witness the Resurrection. Finally, in the concluding verses of St. Matthew’s Gospel, the illustrations become a brighter yellow as the apostles witness Our Lord’s Ascension into heaven.
The translation used by Winthrop is the older King James Version. As a result, the phrasing may be sometimes difficult for young listeners.
This reviewer would like to mention several important points of St. Matthew’s Passion account. “My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me,” are the opening words of Psalm 22. Having been scourged and crucified, it seems understandable to me that Christ may not have been able to say more than the opening verse of the psalm. This does not mean that He died in despair. Though clearly related to the suffering of Jesus, the psalm concludes in triumph with the words: “And I will live for the Lord; my descendants will serve you. The generation to come will be told of the Lord, that they may proclaim to a people yet unborn the deliverance you have brought.” (New American Bible, Ps 22: 31-32)
Additionally, Vatican II issued the famous document Nostra Aetate which specifically addresses the mob’s response to Pilate: “His Blood be upon us and upon our children. (Mt. 27:25) Vatican II in Part Four of Nostra Aetate states that: “what happened in His passion cannot be charged against all the Jews, without distinction, then alive, nor against the Jews of today. The Jews should not be presented as rejected or accursed by God, as if this followed from the Holy Scriptures…. Furthermore, in her rejection of every persecution against any man, the Church, mindful of the patrimony she shares with the Jews and moved not by political reasons but by the Gospel’s spiritual love, decries hatred, persecutions, displays of anti-Semitism, directed against Jews at any time and by anyone.”
I hope you get the opportunity to read this fine account of St. Matthew’s Gospel by Elizabeth Winthrop. As well, I hope you and your family have a blessed Easter. Rejoice, He has Risen!
Just days ago, with the assistance of our donors, we helped a young woman and her 5-year-old daughter escape homelessness that was due to a violent man. They were living in their car. When this young woman learned she was accepted to live with her daughter at St. Gianna’s, our staff could not count the many times she said, “thank you.”
On March 15, the eve of the eve of St. Patrick’s Day, St. Gianna Women’s Homes held its third annual St. Patrick’s Day celebration to benefit St. Gianna’s Women’s Homes.
The event was held at the beautiful Deer Springs Winery, located on 162nd and Adams Street. Dinner included delicious Irish corned beef and cabbage prepared by Premier Catering, delicious wine from Deer Spring Winery, and beautiful Irish music performed by the talented Don Bennett and Barb Biffle Bennett (whose group is called Whoozon1st Band). We were honored by our special guest, Bishop James Conley. The food, wine, music and company were superb!
The evening garnered $9,280 for St. Gianna’s, which represents 11 days of operating expenses. Since the 24 ladies and 30 children at St. Gianna’s are living there without having to worry about paying rent, this helps tremendously.
That night, I related a story of a young woman who was unable to find full-time employment after graduating from college. After finding out she was with child, the father of her baby left her, and her parents refused to let her live under their roof pregnant. It was then, in the midst of feeling the pressures of the choice between her baby and homelessness, that she was admitted to St. Gianna’s. I was happy to say she just gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby boy.
I would like to thank the Barb and Jim Partington and their family at Deer Springs Winery; Carmen and Tony Messineo and their family at Premier Catering; Don Bennett and Barb Biffle Bennett (Whoozon1st Band); our host couples, Gloria and John Strope, Sarah and Tim Donner, Cathy and Eric Vath; and all those who were present. Together, they helped make this night a success.
As we celebrate our Blessed Lord’s resurrection from the dead, which was the ultimate victory over sin and death and the ultimate new beginning, let me also thank all of our supporters. They help the many individuals and families who come to us to experience many mini new beginnings because of their singular love for Jesus, Who lives in the poor and needy in a special way.
Happy Easter and Easter Season!
“The Paperboy” by Dav Pilkey, writer and illustrator
Orchard Books, New York, 1996, 32 pages. Grades 1-3.
As our world is increasingly interconnected through telecommunications, it becomes increasingly more difficult to find activities outside the home that teach personal responsibility. But children only learn responsibility by being given responsibility.
This obvious fact has been and still is taught through activities such as babysitting, mowing lawns, detasseling corn and hard work. It has also been taught through paper routes for generations of American children.
Paper routes demand diligence, the ability to endure harsh weather, and to encounter challenging situations. But children delivering papers gained much from the experience. They learned self-discipline, personal motivation and the important fact that things don’t get done without initiative. So paper routes seem like simple things, but many children learned maturity and the important fact that “money doesn’t grow on trees” from these activities. Dav Pilkey has written and illustrated an acclaimed picture book on this subject. The name of this delightful book is “The Paperboy.”
It is early morning and the paperboy is lying comfortably asleep in his bed. His dog is curled up next to him enjoying the warmth of the covers. The air is cold outside and the stars are still shining down on the sleeping world. But the paperboy wakes up and knows that he has to deliver his paper route before everyone begins their day. He dresses in the early dawn as his dog stirs beside him. They carefully walk downstairs so as not to wake up the other members of the family. The paperboy pours some cereal into a bowl for his breakfast and also fills his dog’s bowl with food. They both then begin eating their breakfasts. Next, they go to the garage where the daily papers have been left. The boy folds and ties a rubber band around all of his papers. Then he and his dog begin the delivery. Since the papers are heavy, riding his bike is difficult until he builds up some speed. But he just keeps at it and soon is going smoothly.
The paperboy has memorized his entire route so that even in the darkness he knows where each paper goes. As he rides through the crisp air, he thinks about his life and what is important that day. Meanwhile, his dog runs behind the bike and chases all the squirrels on the route. As he delivers paper after paper the paperboy feels a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment. While everyone else was comfortably asleep he has done something. He and his dog have contributed to his town by delivering a valuable product to many homes. As daybreak begins, the paperboy continues to work. Each day he must finish the job, so he keeps on pedaling. More rewards are about to come to him. What happens?
What has he learned from his hard work and dedication? Why does he have such a sense of satisfaction? Have you ever worked consistently at a challenging task and achieved your goals? What traits did you have to develop to accomplish this success? What does the paperboy teach all of us? To find out, go to the library and check out “The Paperboy” by Dav Pilkey.
“The Paperboy” won the Caldecott Honor Medal for distinguished art in 1997. Sadly, less children are delivering newspapers these days because of the changes in the publishing industry. So we may have to find new ways for children to learn the valuable skills taught in this warm and evocative book. Having said that, you will enjoy reading and sharing this lovely book with the younger members of your family. Many people will say that the book is “delightful” when they finish reading it. “The Paperboy” is a touching book.
Around 600 years ago, a young, well-to-do mother, in a span of several years, lost her two sons to the plague, and later her husband, as well. I am sure she was tempted by the evil one to become angry with God.
What did she do? She teamed up with her sister-in-law and opened a hospital with their personal funds (later a religious order dedicated to helping those in need). Her name is St. Frances of Rome and her feast day was March 9.
Now, many years later, women in the Church still dedicate themselves to helping the Church and the poor- either formally through altar societies or informally with groups such as The Giving Group. This particular group was started by Rita Antonson from St. Joseph Parish in Lincoln four years ago. There are currently 20 members who donate money each month in order to assist a local charity. Laura Schumacher, one of the members, recently reached out to us after St. Gianna’s Women’s Home was chosen to be the latest recipient. We were happy to accept.
After meeting at Gianna’s Java & Gelato, and saying a prayer in our St. Joseph’s Chapel, I gave the ladies a tour, after which they made 30 Easter baskets for the children at St. Gianna’s. Now each child at St. Gianna’s will have a beautiful Easter basket on Easter Sunday.
As we get ready to celebrate the Easter Triduum, marking the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, the ultimate victory over sin and death, let us imitate St. Frances of Rome and not let our crosses drag us down but use them as a path to the glory of our own resurrection on the last day.
I would like to thank the ladies of The Giving Group as well as all of our benefactors who do so much for Jesus who lives in the poor and needy. Please know that we at Catholic Social Services are praying for you during this most holy time of year. St. Frances of Rome, pray for us!
The Legislature’s Judiciary Committee held a public hearing Feb. 24 on LB 1056, the “Patient Choice at End of Life Act,” introduced by Sen. Ernie Chambers. The bill proposes to allow a physician to prescribe a lethal overdose of medication (called “aid in dying medication”) to “adults” who are “terminally ill,” have the “capacity to make medical decisions” have “voluntarily expressed the wish to receive a prescription for aid-in-dying medication” and have “the physical and mental ability to self-administer” the lethal drugs.
Beginning with its title, this bill is full of euphemisms and provisions that attempt to conceal the practice it actually proposes: physician-assisted (or doctor-prescribed) suicide. In fact, nowhere in the bill will you see the word “suicide” except in the section where it says that “[a]ctions taken in accordance with the… Act shall not, for any purpose, constitute suicide, assisted suicide, mercy killing, homicide, or elder abuse nor constitute the aiding or abetting of such acts.”
The bill even requires persons responsible for completing and signing the death certificates to list the “underlying terminal illness” as the cause of death rather than suicide from a deadly overdose of drugs. Hence, the bill requires falsifying—and concealing—the cause of death.
Sen. Chambers’ asserts that what the bill authorizes is not “physician-assisted” because the bill says no person may assist a person in taking the lethal drugs. This is deception, since the physician does “assist” by prescribing the lethal dose of drugs.
Sen. Chambers says the act is not “suicide” because “[s]uicide is the negation of, or ‘giving up on’ life. The patient, here, is neither negating nor giving up on life but, rather, choosing the manner of his or her inexorable, inevitable, imminent death. Meaningful ‘life,’ both as to quality and duration, is not an option.”
Really? A quick Google search for the plain meaning of the word “suicide” finds the following common definition (from Merriam-Webster): “the act or an instance of taking one’s own life voluntarily and intentionally.”
Senator Chambers also insists that the bill contains many safeguards. For example, he insists that the sole aim of the bill “is to allow a person to choose a manner of dying (when death is certain and imminent) that is peaceful, humane and dignified.” The definition of “terminal illness” in the bill, however, would permit doctors to prescribe death for patients who could live for many years. Furthermore, the bill does nothing to assure that patients do not end up suffering a very unpleasant and prolonged death.
Sen. Chambers also points to a provision in the bill that would penalize anyone who “coerces or exerts undue influence” on a patient to request the lethal prescription. Those words, however, have a very narrow legal meaning. The proposal does not prohibit someone from suggesting, advising, pressuring or encouraging a patient to request doctor-prescribed suicide.
Since victims of domestic abuse, including elder abuse, are extremely vulnerable to persuasion from their abusers, it takes little imagination to understand how abused patients could be persuaded to request doctor-prescribed suicide. Further detailed analysis of the many problems with LB 1056 can be seen at www.necatholic.org (under Public Policy).
In the document “To Live Each Day With Dignity”, the U.S. Bishops assert that “a caring community devotes more attention, not less, to members facing the most vulnerable times in their lives. When people are tempted to see their own lives as diminished in value or meaning, they most need the love and assistance of others to assure them of their inherent worth.”
“People who request death are vulnerable,” the Bishops continue. “They need care and protection. To offer them lethal drugs is a victory not for freedom but for the worst form of neglect. Such abandonment is especially irresponsible when society is increasingly aware of elder abuse and other forms of mistreatment and exploitation of vulnerable persons, such as minorities and the poor.
“By rescinding legal protection for the lives of one group of people, the government implicitly communicates the message that they may be better off dead…If these persons say they want to die, others may be tempted to regard this not as a call for help but as the reasonable response to what they agree is a meaningless life.”
Sadly, Sen. Chambers said that he will devote the remainder of his time as a senator to legalizing doctor-prescribed suicide. Nebraskans who oppose state-sanctioned suicide as “the worst form of neglect” of our vulnerable brothers and sisters must see to it that Sen. Chambers fails in this endeavor.
Resource: “NoveList”
Database funded by the State of Nebraska through the Nebraska Library Commission, 2016.
Unless you are a children’s librarian, you face the daunting challenge of trying to recommend books to your children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. This is hardly surprising since book recommendations require a substantial amount of background knowledge to do so effectively.
Now interestingly enough, one excellent and simple way is to go ask the local librarian. The librarian is trained in children’s literature and information retrieval and can usually make fine recommendations.
But many people are not able to drive over to the public library and need another source to discover interesting books. This is where NoveList is so valuable, and why the Nebraska Library Commission has chosen it as a primary literary site for citizens of Nebraska.
The Nebraska Library Commission has bundled a marvelous set of databases for the people of Nebraska. They can be found on the State of Nebraska’s website and are easy to utilize. To get there, go to your browser and type nebraskaccess. Click on the word NebraskAccess. This is usually the first entry to be displayed in your search.
This will take you to a page entitled ‘NebraskAccess,’ which has an orange heading with some Sandhill Cranes flying over Chimney Rock. Click on the third database listed on the page which is ‘Books/Humanities/Reading/.’
Near the top of the page locate ‘Databases Available to Nebraskans,’ under which you find NoveList K-8 Plus and NoveList Plus. The first NoveList K-8 contains books for K-8 students.
The second NoveList Plus is for high school and older students. It is also an outstanding site for books for adults.
Let’s look at a basic search in NoveList K-8 Plus.
Begin by clicking on ‘NoveList K-8 Plus.’ Now type in your Nebraska driver’s license number and click. This will take you to the database. Now you can begin to explore literary possibilities. Next to the NoveList icon is a search box that is set for “keyword.” You can change this to author, title or series.
Suppose you know you want to read about the Narnia Chronicles by C.S. Lewis. Type the phrase Narnia Chronicles and click. This will list 36 books by C.S. Lewis, or about him. Included in this number will be all of the Narnia Chronicles.
Now try an author search. In the search box pull down on the arrow and change to author. For some reason, the database gets confused when you type periods after an author’s initials. So just type C S Lewis and click. I know this seems dense, but there it is.
After you click you will get a page full of titles. Find the title you want and write it down. Under each entry you will see “Title read-alikes,” “Author read-alikes” or “Series Read-alikes.”
Now computer searching will really help you. When you click on any of the three, the database will find other books that are similar to what you are reading. Now as a parent or mentor, you can help the child find all kinds of books, because you have a bibliography or list of books on the subject.
NoveList K-8 also lists books by subject and genre. You can click on any of these access points and quickly develop a comprehensive list on your topic.
Now of course, you still have to go to the library and get the book after looking it up in the electronic card catalog. Again, Step One: Type NebraskAccess; Step Two: Click on Books/Humanities/Reading, the third database down; Step Three: Enter your driver’s license number; Step Four: Begin using NoveList K-8 of NoveList Plus using searches like those described.
NoveList is a tremendous literary database for parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles. You can help your young readers find all kinds of great literature, and you may find some yourself. Give NoveList a try, it is great fun. Enjoy!
Not long ago I sat at a table of weepy mothers lamenting their children leaving home for school or work, ‘jumping out of the nest,’ as the saying goes. After they all shared their stories and during a moment of silence, I said, “Yah, I’ll never forget my mother crying when I started college … It was when I told her I would be living at home for four more years!”
After they laughed, I told them I was joking.
I do remember the excitement of definitively leaving home, starting a new job 250 miles away from home. My mother years later told me as I pulled away smiling, she silently watched from inside, crying.
Recently, a woman who graduated from college had similar hopes and dreams, namely those of starting a new job and life after her time at the university. However, things for her were markedly different. For one thing, she found it impossible to find full time employment in the field related to her college degree. Having only a low paying minimum wage job and with her college roommate moving on, she found it impossible to pay the rent. She was forced to consider moving home with her parents. I myself am grateful to my parents for allowing me to live at home as long as I needed.
In the midst of these challenges, she found herself pregnant and not only did the father of the child leave her when he found out, he left town. Unfortunately and tragically, her parents were so infuriated, she was told she could not move back home because of the pregnancy. Although she considered herself to be pro-life, she acutely felt the pressures of seeking a surgical abortion. People who are anti-life who say, ‘I am personally opposed to abortion but am in favor of a woman choosing an abortion,’ the ‘pro-choice’ mantra, need to know that many women who have abortions considered themselves trapped by circumstances similar to what I have outlined above.
Fortunately and providentially, she found out about St. Gianna Women’s Homes. I am happy to announce not only has she given birth to a beautiful baby boy, she is looking forward to graduating from St. Gianna’s and living independently.
This is just one of the many success stories of St. Gianna’s. Not only do we help our ladies materially and psychologically, but also spiritually as well, for there have been many spiritual conversions at St. Gianna’s.
We offer psychological counseling, budgeting classes, parenting classes, bible studies, Endow meetings, and RCIA classes for interested women to name a few. We also give cars to women like the one mentioned above for after graduating, having a vehicle is essential for commuting to work, taking children to school, daycare and doctor appointments, and getting to church on Sundays. Unfortunately, the demand always exceeds our supply. This is why I frequently ask our loving supporters to not only consider donating vehicles to us (which is tax deductible) but to plant the bug in the ears of people they know so we can continue to help these ladies and other clients that come to us in crisis.
Please let me take this opportunity to thank our many benefactors who through their generosity prompted by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit make it possible for us to love Jesus in the poor and needy who come to us on a daily basis. Please know that you are all in our special prayers and Masses at Catholic Social Services and St. Gianna Women’s Homes!
“The Whipping Boy,” by Sid Fleischman, illustrations by Peter Sis
Greenwillow Books, New York, 1986, 90 pages, Grades 3-5.
When children misbehave, discipline is necessary. But exactly what type of discipline do you recommend? The early Puritans in Massachusetts believed that if you “spared the rod, you would spoil the child.” This rather harsh form of punishment could get quick results, but it usually came with resentment.
In more recent periods, problematic children are sent to “time out,” or engaged in discussions about the cause of the misbehavior. This type of parenting is a significant improvement over the Puritan forms of discipline.
Historically, a curious problem developed in royal households regarding child discipline. How do you punish a prince? You can’t really whip the heir to the throne, so what should you do? The solution was to find a “whipping boy” and punish the child in front of the prince. The prince would supposedly be so mortified by seeing the other boy whipped that he would change his behavior. But does this theory actually work? Sid Fleischman has written a delightful account of such a situation. The name of this award winning book is “The Whipping Boy.”
Prince Horace is a very proud but lonely boy. He deliberately disobeys the king to draw attention to himself. But the king misses all of these signals and continues to neglect the Prince. As Prince Horace gets into more and more trouble, whipping boys are brought to the palace and flogged in front of him for his behavior. Quite frankly, the Prince doesn’t care how many boys are flogged. He is so rude and selfish that everyone begins calling him “Prince Brat.” He hears the name, now and again, and hates it.
At last a whipping boy named Jemmy-From-The-Streets is brought to the palace. Much to Prince Brat’s anger, Jemmy will not cry when he is being whipped for the Prince’s misbehavior. As Jemmy shadows the Prince throughout the day, he goes to all the classes taught in the castle. While the Prince wastes his time in school, Jemmy soon learns to read, write and do computations. Jemmy has become a learned street urchin. Prince Brat finally decides he has had enough of palace life and plans to run away. Jemmy also wants to leave the palace as he is tired of the beatings. The two boys escape and run into a forest.
There they meet two desperadoes named Hold-Your-Nose-Billy and Cutwater. They are both illiterate but think they can get money for the Prince if a ransom note stating their demands is delivered to the palace. Since Prince Brat can’t read or write, the clever Jemmy must write the letter and pretend to be the Prince. With the outlaws confused, the adventures begin.
What happens to the two boys? Do they ever get back to the palace? What do they learn about telling fibs to the outlaws? Can someone really confuse people about their identity? What happens to self-centered Prince Brat during all of these misadventures? What does Jemmy learn about himself? To find out the answers to these questions, go to the library and check out this rollicking novel, “The Whipping Boy” by Sid Fleischman.
“The Whipping Boy” won the Newbery Medal for the novel making the most distinguished contribution to children’s literature in 1987. In addition to its high literary quality, the novel is delightful to read. There are scoundrels and heroes and funny, delightful scenes throughout the book.
Through Fleischman’s talented writing, we see characters develop from being immature and selfish into people filled with admirable traits. This book is simply a delight and one that your children will find pleasure reading. Enjoy!
In 1875, Pope Pius IX sent two sisters to Nebraska by way of Prairie, Minn., to start a convent of Poor Clares in Omaha. The women’s religious names were Sister Maria Costanza di Gesu and Sister Maria Maddelena di Sacro di Gusu.
Before departing for the United States, Sister Costanza, in a private audience with Pope Pius IX, asked, “Holy Father, give us a particular blessing as we wish to become saints.”
It is reported in the marvelous second volume of the “History of the Catholic Church in Nebraska – The Church on the Fading Frontier,” by Father Henry Casper, S.J., that the Vicar of Christ smiled and replied, “My children, what good can you do if you do not become saints?”
Exactly.
Our Holy Father, Pope Francis, is encouraging doing something special during this Year of Mercy, such as organizations holding retreats in order to, in my own words, act as a catalyst to help enkindle the fire of faith in the souls of the faithful.
Reading these words was a confirmation of sorts to the custom we have at Catholic Social Services to hold mini-days of recollection at the beginning of Advent and Easter. Each day includes Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, a conference by a priest, confessions, and Mass. We hold these retreats because we want to become the saints that God is calling us to be. Only then can we effectively minister to the poor and needy.
On Friday, Feb.12, Father Andrew Heaslip, the director of religious education of the Diocese of Lincoln, directed our latest retreat. He did a wonderful job!
In this Year of Mercy, he compared and contrasted the denial/betrayal of St. Peter the Apostle and Judas Iscariot. As we know, they both betrayed Jesus Christ in different ways, but once their sins were fully recognized, their responses were very different. While Peter returned to the Lord in repentance and love which led to hope and life, Judas turned away from the Lord which led to despair and death.
These biannual retreats are a big help in helping us recognize more clearly the presence of Jesus in the poor and needy and that we help the poor not because it is a nice thing to do, but because everything that we do for the least, we do to and for Jesus (Mt 25:31-46) who is Divine Mercy.
I hope you are able to do something special this year too, like perhaps signing up for a weekend retreat in Waverly.
Please remember the words of Pope Pius IX, “My children, what good can you do if you do not become saints?”
The 104th Nebraska Legislature is now at the midpoint of its 60-day second session. In addition to some carryover legislation from last year’s session, 445 new bills have been introduced this year.
The Nebraska Catholic Conference has identified a number of bills of interest and concern. What follows is a brief overview of some of the key bills NCC is opposing and supporting.
LB 586 (Oppose) This bill would make “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” protected classifications under Nebraska’s employment laws. This bill was introduced last year and was debated for a few hours before being pulled from the agenda because of insufficient votes to advance it. It carried over to this year’s session and Sen. Adam Morfeld, its introducer, has prioritized it, guaranteeing it will receive further debate by the Legislature. Please contact your senator now and urge him/her to oppose this bill.
LB 1056 (Oppose) This bill, introduced by Sen. Ernie Chambers, proposes to legalize doctor-prescribed suicide. Proponents are relentless in their efforts to legalize assisted suicide state by state and they have some momentum after California legalized it last fall.
The Legislature’s Judiciary Committee conducted a public hearing on LB 1056 Wednesday, Feb. 24. Perhaps providentially, this is the same day as the Catholics at the Capitol event.
Please also send an email to Judiciary Committee members urging them to reject LB 1056. A list of Committee members is available at www.nebraskalegislature.gov.
LB 943 and LB 944 (Oppose) These two bills, introduced by Sen. Matt Hansen, propose to replace the terms “husband” and “wife” with “spouse,” and “mother” and “father” with “parent” in all Nebraska statutes. These bills were prompted by the U.S. Supreme Court’s Obergefell v. Hodges ruling redefining marriage.
The Conference opposes any changes made to conform Nebraska’s statutes to Obergefell. Five Supreme Court justices wrongly declared same-sex unions to be the equivalent of marriage. Nebraska should not ascribe moral legitimacy to an erroneous judicial opinion by enshrining that opinion in the state’s democratically–passed laws.
LR 389 CA (Oppose) This bill, introduced by Sen. Burke Harr, proposes to place on the ballot in November the question of whether Nebraskans want to remove the Constitutional amendment that recognizes marriage as a union of one man and one woman. This bill was also prompted by the Obergefell ruling.
LB 975 (Support) This bill, introduced by Sen. Mark Kolterman, would prohibit the state from taking an adverse action against a foster care or adoption provider for declining to provide a child welfare service that conflicts with the provider’s sincerely held religious beliefs.
Child placing agencies in other states have been forced out of providing services to children because of policy decisions made by state or local government which lacked protections for faith-based agencies.
LB 767 and LB 768 (Support) Both of these bills were introduced by Sen. Tommy Garrett. LB 767 would ban “dismemberment abortions” commonly referred to as D&E (Dilation and Evacuation) which involves dismembering a living unborn child and removing it, piece by piece. LB 768 would authorize a “Choose Life” license plate in Nebraska.
LB 701 (Support) Introduced by Sen. Heath Mello, LB701 removes the sunset provision on a program that that allows recipients of Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) to use hours the recipient spends working toward an associate’s degree, diploma, or certificate to count toward the recipient’s work activity requirement.
LB 1036 (Support) Introduced by Sen. Kathy Campbell, this bill proposes reforms to payday lending businesses. It would allow affordable payments over time and cap the interest that can be charged at 36 percent per annum and maximum monthly maintenance fee of $20.
Information on these and other bills can be found online at www.necatholic.org. On our website you can also sign up for Catholic Advocacy Network Nebraska which will keep you informed on these important issues and give you an easy opportunity to make your voice heard.
“The Miraculous Medal: The Story of Our Lady’s Appearances to St. Catherine Labouré,” by Mary Fabyan Windeatt
St. Benedict Press, Charlotte, N.C., published by TAN Books, 1950, reprinted in 1990, 107 pages, Grades 3-5.
During times of immense need, Our Lord sends His beloved Mother to instruct and ask people to turn away from sin and selfishness and accept His love. These divine blessings are few in number but of tremendous consequence.
Because there have been a number of false Marian apparitions in recent years, the faithful need to strictly follow the rulings of the Church on the authenticity of apparitions. When the Church has concluded that Our Lady has been sent from Heaven to counsel and comfort Her children, we should gladly rejoice. Several famous Marian apparitions include those at Guadalupe, Lourdes and Fatima.
The Blessed Mother’s appearances to St. Catherine Labouré have also been approved by the Church. Mary Fabyan Windeatt tells the remarkable story of these appearances in her book, “The Miraculous Medal: The Story of Our Lady’s Appearances to St. Catherine Laboure.”
The year is 1830 and a young novice with the religious order the Daughters of Charity, Sister Catherine Labouré devotes her days to prayer and work. She is unassuming, charitable and docile in spiritual matters. Though a loving follower of Christ, she does not have any remarkable abilities.
Shortly after arriving at the convent, Sister Catherine is awakened by a young child and told to come to the chapel. She is somewhat befuddled by this request but dresses and walks to the chapel. There, she sees a beautiful woman wearing a white dress sitting in a chair. Her head is covered with a lovely blue veil.
The young sister cannot believe her eyes. This undoubtedly is the Virgin Mary, but Sister Catherine is too stunned to even acknowledge the fact. The child (an angel) dispels her doubts by telling her that the “lady” is the Blessed Virgin. With this she believes that the apparition is real and believes what the Blessed Mother tells her.
To put it mildly, the messages are somber. The Blessed Virgin tells Sister Catherine that the evil times are coming to the world and to France in particular. There will be great suffering in the land and the Archbishop of Paris will be killed. Our Lady then makes her request of the young novice. She is to tell her spiritual director that a medal honoring the Mother of God is to be minted.
The description of the medal is quite detailed. The words to be imprinted on the medal are “O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.”
On the medal a circle of 12 stars are to be placed around the letter M which is surmounted on a cross. Finally, on the back is to be the figure of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Sister Catherine is told to ask her spiritual director to see that this medal is created. How does the young novice accomplish everything the Blessed Virgin asks her?
The creation of the Miraculous Medal is a moving story. Lest we think that Our Lady was speaking in allegories when she said that evil was going to descend on France and that the archbishop of Paris would be killed, she wasn’t. Archbishop Affre was killed trying to negotiate a peace treaty during the Revolution of 1848 in Paris, Archbishop Sibour was assassinated in 1857, and Archbishop Darboy was executed by the Communist Paris Commune during the uprising in 1871.
Windeatt uses some created dialogues to tell the story of St. Catherine Labouré in this this biography. These passages should be understood as the author telling the importance of St. Catherine Laboure, without using actual speeches from her life.
The Miraculous Medal is a great gift from Christ to the Church. I hope you get a chance to read this fine biography about its history.
Last December, I received an email from Father Cyrus Rowan, who is assistant pastor at St. Wenceslaus Parish and a teacher at Bishop Neumann Junior and Senior High School in Wahoo. Each year, Bishop Neumann holds a one-day retreat during which the students volunteer somewhere off campus. This year, the eighth grade chose Catholic Social Services.
A busload of eighth-graders pulled into the parking lot at our St. Joseph Center Feb. 1 and gathered in our lobby outside the St. Joseph Chapel. After thanking them, and saying a few words about how privileged we are for having Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament with us on site, we gathered in the chapel for a prayer.
Soon after this, the students split into several groups- one for making sandwiches for the homeless and near homeless, another to separate donated diapers into individual bags for distribution based on size, and another for cleaning.
It is one thing to make a sandwich for yourself or another family member, but it is another making one for someone who is living on the streets or is barely making ends meet.
It is one thing changing a diaper of a younger sibling or a baby that one is babysitting. It is another thing preparing bags of diapers for women who are unable to afford them.
After two hours of work, the students gathered in our St. Joseph Chapel for the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. This was the most important part of the day. When we consume regular food, the food becomes part of us. When we consume the Eucharist, we become like the very food we consume. In reading the lives of the saints, one thing is clear: the two most common denominators among them all are an intense love of the Blessed Sacrament, and the poor. After lunch, they headed back to Bishop Neumann for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. On the first of February, they were able to adore and love Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament and His presence in the poor.
I would like to thank the faculty, staff and the eighth graders at Bishop Neuman for thinking of CSS while holding this retreat conjoined with a service project, as it is a way of teaching students the connection between the love of God and their neighbors. What a great way of starting early! Please be assured of our prayers for you all.
“The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” by Langston Hughes, illustrated by E.B. Lewis
Disney Book Group, New York, 2009 (written in 1920), 32 pages, grades junior high and above.
The Harlem Renaissance was a period of intense musical and literary genius in the 1920s. It corresponded to the Great Migration, the massive exodus of African Americans from the South to northern cities after World War I.
The Harlem Renaissance was centered in the New York borough of Harlem, and gave the country vibrant music, art and brilliant writers such as James Weldon Johnson and Langston Hughes.
Born in Joplin, Mo., Hughes eventually moved to Harlem and became a primary writer and spokesman for the movement. The Harlem Renaissance celebrated the beauty and strength of African American culture and rejected such demeaning practices as “blackface” in movies and plays.
As a 17-year-old, Hughes penned “The Negro Speaks of Rivers,” one of the signature poems of the Harlem Renaissance. This brief poem is a work of genius and tells the story of the incredible strength and hope of African and African American people’s life experiences and struggles.
Hughes begins narrating the poem by describing his knowledge and understanding of rivers. These rivers are older than civilization. He poignantly creates an image of life-giving rivers carrying water and the human body carrying life giving blood. All of life has a connectedness. Looking back throughout history, he views himself bathing in the Euphrates River when the world was young.
Next, he sees a peaceful time when people could rest beside the Congo River. During this happy period, family life developed in a loving way.
But life is shattered by a long period of suffering, beginning with the raising of the pyramids along the Nile River. It continued with more suffering beside the Mississippi River. But throughout these painful periods, Hughes can hear the Mississippi River singing a promise of hope and a better future. This begins when Abraham Lincoln floats down the Mississippi River on a trading expedition. The magnificent beauty of the Mississippi River continues to instruct the narrator about the spiritual splendor of creation. This process deepens everyone’s understanding of nature and the society we live in. The conclusion of the poem draws all of these experiences together. Hughes tells how he has known the depths and life giving qualities of rivers. All the experiences near these rivers has instructed and deepened him. By the end of the poem, his “soul has grown deep like the rivers” and has been transformed.
The illustrations by E.B. Lewis are moving testimonies to this great poem. Like the poem, they are both heartbreaking and triumphant. Hughes never overtly talks about racial matters in the poem, but the entire tenor of the work instructs readers on the subject. There is not an angry tone in the poetry either. The characters in the poem love, live, endure and are transformed. Like the rivers described, their humanity deepens and their souls are enlightened.
I strongly encourage you to read the edition being reviewed. The reason for this recommendation is that the illustrations by E.B. Lewis are awe-inspiring and beautifully compliment the poem.
I hope that you get a chance to read this magnificent poem and share this compelling book with younger members of your family.
On the eve of Fat Tuesday, many of our volunteers gathered in the main room of Our Lady of Guadalupe Center in Lincoln, adjacent to our Gianna’s Java & Gelato, located in our beautiful St. Joseph Center, for a volunteer appreciation luncheon. I bet you can guess where the food and coffee came from... you guessed it, Gianna’s Java & Gelato!
After saying a prayer and thanking them for their hard work, we sat down and enjoyed a spinach salad garnished with slices of grilled chicken breast and feta cheese, topped off with raspberry vinaigrette. Even those who said they were full enjoyed some of our in-house, handcrafted gelato. One of our volunteers with a lactose intolerance enjoyed some of our sorbetto, which is water-based. There were a lot of ‘yum’ sounds…
After lunch, Mr. Curt Krueger, who is our director of social services, also thanked everyone present and told them a personal story that happened before our last heavy snowstorm. While out and about, he ran into a homeless woman who was alternatively laughing and crying. After engaging her in a conversation, he confirmed that, in addition to being homeless, she was inadequately dressed for winter.
With the donations of warm clothing, he was able to clothe her adequately and put her up in a long-term motel with a kitchenette, and purchase food before the onslaught of wind, ice and snow. He wanted to relate this to the volunteers because it was some of them who sorted the very clothes he gave to the woman.
His story reminds me of St. Paul’s description of the Church as a body: “As it is, there are many parts, yet one body. The eye cannot say to the to the hand, ‘I have no need of you’”(1 Cor 12:20-21).
In other words, if it was not for our donors, we would not have had the cash to pay for her stay in the long-term motel or the warm clothing to give her. Without our volunteers to sort the same clothing, we would not have been able to provide them for her.
As we are in the midst of this holy season of Lent in which we are asked to increase our prayers, fasting and alms giving, please allow me to thank all of our donors and volunteers. Also, please, please remember not to give up gelato or coffee this Lent... try giving up Brussels sprouts or wax beans instead!
In his dissenting opinion in the Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court decision, Justice Samuel Alito said that the majority decision “will be used to vilify Americans who are unwilling to assent to the new orthodoxy” of marriage being redefined to include same-sex unions.
“Perhaps recognizing how its reasoning may be used, the majority attempts” Alito said, “to reassure those who oppose same-sex marriage that their rights of conscience will be protected.” He was referring to Justice Kennedy’s comment that “Religions, and those who adhere to religious doctrines, may continue to advocate with utmost, sincere convictions that, by divine precepts, same-sex marriage should not be condoned.”
Justice Alito concluded, “We will soon see whether this proves to be true. I assume that those who cling to old beliefs will be able to whisper their thoughts in the recesses of their homes, but if they repeat those views in public, they will risk being labeled as bigots and treated as such by governments, employers, and schools.”
A mere seven months after Justice Alito wrote this opinion, I experienced accusations of hatred and bigotry because I testified against three bills that propose to enshrine the Obergefell in Nebraska’s statutes and Constitution.
Two of the bills, LB 943 and LB 944, propose to replace the gender-specific terms of “husband,” “wife,” “mother” and “father” in Nebraska’s statutes with gender-neutral terms like “spouse(s)” and “parent(s).” The third bill, LR 389 CA, proposes to place before the voters of Nebraska in November the question of whether to retain or repeal the amendment that defines marriage as between one man and one woman.
I began my testimony by communicating the unchangeable truth about marriage. “Marriage is a covenant or partnership of life between a man and woman, which is ordered to the well-being of the spouses and to the procreation and upbringing of children. It is and can only be the union of one man and one woman. It is the only institution that unites a man and a woman with each other and with any child who comes from their union.
“Marriage is based on the truth that men and women are complementary, the biological fact that reproduction depends on a man and a woman, and the reality that the ideal setting for raising children is with their mother and father. Redefining marriage does not simply expand the existing understanding of marriage, it rejects these truths.
“Regardless of what a narrow majority of the Supreme Court may declare at this moment in history, the nature of the human person and marriage remains unchanged and unchangeable…
Five Justices wrongly declared same-sex unions to be the equivalent of marriage. Nebraska should not ascribe moral legitimacy to an erroneous judicial opinion by undertaking to remove a provision affirming the truth about marriage in the state’s constitution” or enshrining it in our statutes.
At the end of the opposition testimony—there was only one other group opposed to the three bills—one of the Committee members strongly voiced displeasure with our opposition. We were told that the Supreme Court has spoken and same-sex “marriage” is now the settled law of the land so we should accept this as reality.
This sort of argument is familiar to those of us who have worked to overturn Roe v. Wade. What’s more disturbing is that we were also accused of being hateful bigots because we disagree with the Court’s decision and continue to advocate for marriage between one man and one woman.
Justice Alito was clearly prophetic in his dissenting opinion in Obergefell. Proponents of same-sex marriage are not content with the Court’s redefinition of marriage. They won’t stop until they have “stamp[ed] out every vestige of dissent” by “vilify[ing] Americans who are unwilling to assent to the new orthodoxy.” That kind of extremism should offend and frighten every American, regardless of one’s view on the definition of marriage.
“Johnny Tremain,” by Esther Forbes, illustrated by Lynd Ward
Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1943, 300 pages, Grades 5-7.
Historical fiction is one of the great genres (types of writing) that can be found in literature. Talented authors can take readers back centuries and allow them to experience the historical situation through the characters, background, customs and language of time.
As a result, historical fiction has always been popular and is unlikely to ever lose its audience. Esther Forbes has written a brilliant book in this genre about the American Revolution. Since its publication in 1943, the novel has held readers in awe with its masterful writing and suspenseful characters. The name of this great novel is “Johnny Tremain.”
Johnny is an orphan and has been apprenticed to a silversmith. By his early teens, he already shows great aptitude in molding beautiful tea pots and sugar bowls. Though seemingly a common boy, he possesses remarkable artistic talent that can be seen in his lovely creations. The silversmith, Mr. Lapham, sees his ability in shaping silver but also sees a less admirable quality in the lad: Johnny is filled with an inordinate pride in his abilities.
So, while he is producing most of the expensive products in the shop, he constantly ridicules his fellow apprentices. The pious Mr. Lapham tries to humble Johnny but too little effect. Johnny’s ill-tempered remarks lead to excessive jealously and his hand is badly burned when another apprentice gets his revenge by giving him a broken mold during a silver pour.
Now Johnny is not able to shape silver. He has fallen from the heights of success to that of a crippled teenager. Now the shoe is on the other foot as the apprentices make fun of him.
He eventually flees the situation. His mother’s last gift to him was a precious silver cup that she had said he must only use if he were in desperate straits. The cup had belonged to the Lyte family, one of the richest families in Massachusetts. It is inconceivable that a poor boy would ever come into possession of the delicate object. Johnny senses his history and destiny are connected to this beautiful object.
During this difficult time in Johnny’s life, the Tea Act is passed causing insurrection in the American Colonies. Casting about for a place to sleep, Johnny is taken in by a printer working for a revolution against England.
Since his hand is maimed, the American revolutionaries believe Johnny cannot fire a gun. He can be trained to ride a horse, however. This would allow him to be a dispatch rider carrying messages between towns for the “Sons of Liberty,” as the revolutionaries are called.
Who would ever suspect a 15-year-old teenager with a crippled hand in helping to undermine the British Empire? Traitors will be shot! The story continues to build as the British Army prepares to attack Lexington and Concord. What happens?
What does Johnny do during the famous night ride of Paul Revere? What does he learn about war? What is the heart-wrenching story behind his silver cup? Can he overcome his handicap? How does he learn from all of this and grow into a virtuous young man? To find out the answers to this, go to the library and check out this famous novel, “Johnny Tremain” by Esther Forbes.
This may be the greatest historical novel ever written for adolescents. Forbes shows us Johnny’s character undergoing many transformations. He is prideful and haughty and then broken and in the need of others. In his suffering the true measure of his character emerges. During his dangerous dispatch rides, battles are being fought and people are dying. To aid the revolutionary cause, he must deceive the British Army by constant daring and occasional lying. Despite the enormous risks, Johnny completes his missions with true courage.
Forbes expertly shows many of the conflicting issues of the American Revolution. Though Forbes sides with the revolution, she details the great costs of choosing for the Empire or the rebellion in 1776. Nothing was as simple as it later appeared to be. I hope you encourage the members of your family to read this gripping novel.
Recently, a young single woman from Lincoln, estranged from her family, found herself homeless and alone on the streets in another bigger city. We all know how cold it has been.
After meeting another young woman with a boy without shoes, the first woman gave some of the little money she had left so the mother could get her boy some shoes. She remembers being criticized by another homeless person who said, “You’re in no position to be helping others, your homeless and it’s winter!”
But, she thought, as she sat on a bench with snow all around, ‘if I help this boy, God and His Blessed Mother will help me!’
Providentially we found out about her situation, arranged for her safe return and she is now, with our help, off the streets, in an apartment, and about to begin working a new job.
I am happy to announce that on Sunday, Feb. 28, Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska will be holding its 29th annual Celebration of Caring banquet at the Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln. The social hour begins at 4:30 p.m. with the dinner/program at 6 p.m.
This year Norman and Sharon Timmerman from Indianola will be receiving the Cor Christi award (which is translated ‘Heart of Christ’) for their love for Jesus evidenced by their love of neighbor.
During my ‘state of the diocese’ report, I will share that, by the grace of God and the generosity of our supporters, we have helped more than 16,000 families and more than 37,000 individuals across the diocese, with more than 192,000 points of contact with nearly 2.6 million dollars of cash and in-kind assistance across the 24,000 square miles of the diocese of Lincoln. I will also have the opportunity to give everyone a peek into the future and share what is new.
I hope you will be able to join us this year, but if not, please pray for the success of this yearly banquet.
Please remember that you, your family and intentions are remembered in our daily prayers and Masses. May God bestow abundant graces this year and beyond!
“Tallchief: America’s Prima Ballerina,” by Maria Tallchief with Rosemary Wells
Viking Press, New York, 1999, 32 pages, Grades K-3.
Ballet is a wonderful combination of music, dance, artistry and athletic strength. In the early 1900s, ballet was dominated by a number of brilliant Russian dancers. In fact, so many Russians were great dancers that the entire art form became identified with Russia.
The most famous ballet company in the world was the renowned Bolshoi Ballet from Moscow. Into this very European setting, a young American girl began to show great ballet promise. Born in Oklahoma of an Osage Indian father and a Scot-Irish mother, this young girl would later gain world-wide prominence. Her name was Elizabeth Marie Tall Chief, but would later be changed to Marie Tallchief.
Marie Tallchief, with the assistance of famous children’s literature author Rosemary Wells, writes the remarkable story of her life.
Elizabeth Maria Tall Chief is born in 1925 on the Osage Indian Reservation in Fairfax, Okla. In a stroke of good fortune, vast amounts of oil are discovered on the reservation. In short order, the Osage Indian Tribe have wealth beyond imagining. Elizabeth Maria’s father, Alexander Tall Chief, is also quite wealthy and owns a number of businesses in Fairfax. His mother lives with the family and does not understand these new American ways and the wealth that has flowed over the tribe.
Maria’s mother, Ruth Tall Chief, becomes the artistic driving force in her life and insists that she and her sister Marjorie take piano and dance lessons. Both girls begin to excel in the arts, with Elizabeth Maria being exceptionally talented in both the piano and dance.
But gifted dance instructors were not to be found in Fairfax, so the mother decides that the family must move to Los Angeles so that the girls can receive better instruction. By the time Elizabeth Marie is 10 years old, she is dedicated to music and dance but reaches a crossroad in her young life. Alexander Tall Chief tells his daughter that she needs to choose between dance and the piano. Her father thinks that she will excel in one of the arts but will be unable to achieve greatness if she tries to do both.
With this advice, Elizabeth Marie chooses dance. Shortly thereafter, she begins being trained in ballet by the renowned teacher Madame Nijinska. She is the sister of the most famous ballet dancer in the world, Vaslav Nijinska. Through Madame Nijinska, Elizabeth Marie, learns the hard discipline and work involved in becoming a prima ballerina. While in her late teens, Elizabeth Marie makes the final decisions that will lead her to becoming the greatest American ballerina of all time.
What were these decisions? How does this young Oklahoma girl become a world-renowned ballet dancer? Who helps her in becoming an exquisite ballerina? Have you ever helped anyone achieve something? Why is it so important to support others?
To find out the answers to these questions, go to the library and check out the book, “Tallchief: America’s Prima Ballerina” by Maria Tallchief and Rosemary Wells.
The life of Maria Tallchief has been the subject of a number of books and films. This autobiography is concerned with her early years, so readers will also want to read other biographies about her adult life.
Oklahoma will declare Maria Tallchief and her sister Marjorie to be “state treasures.” The story of Maria Tallchief is a story of hard work, beauty and triumph. I hope you get the opportunity to read this book about the life of this exceptional woman. Enjoy!
If anyone has seen an old slug jogging on the bike trail between the N Street bridge and the Devaney Center, it is yours truly trying to keep the blood pressure and cholesterol in line.
Through the years while jogging, I have come across men sleeping under the bridges over the trail. Now, looking back on the decision of starting a sack lunch program three years ago in Lincoln, in the wake of our successful sack lunch program in Hastings, it has been proved to be providential – not only for the homeless but for individuals and families in the area who are in need of a healthy nutritious meal. If you do the math, one meal a day frees up money in the budget for families who are living paycheck to paycheck.
Catholic Social Services is holding our 13th annual “Trumpet Fest” Feb. 14 in memory of Mac McCune, at Pius High School (located at 60th & A streets). The event starts at 3 p.m. and features talented musicians who have a soft spot for Jesus who lives in the poor and needy.
Thirteen years ago, Kevin Murray started this delightful event where professional and student musicians perform gratis, which is a testimony of their love for Jesus, while a hat is passed through the crowd for free-will offerings. To date, almost $20,000 has been raised to support the programs of CSS – namely, help with emergency services and grants for counseling services.
This year, our performers will include Darryl White, Kevin Murray, Barb Schmit, Dean Haist, Maria Pytlik, Matthew Boring, Dorothy Applebee, and the UNL Trumpet Studio. The musicians are so talented that every year I say to myself, ‘this was the best performance ever!’
If you are looking for something special, different and fun to do in the dead of winter, I encourage you to attend, and you too will be amazed. They make what is very difficult, look easy! For those who are unable to attend, please pray for the success of this wonderful event.
Please also pray for Kevin and the rest of the musicians who are planning to perform and of course the happy repose of the late Mac McCune who helped Kevin get this event off the ground 13 years ago. Please also pray for our sack lunch program in Lincoln because we wish to expand the hours of operation. This means we will need more volunteers to make and distribute them.
I would like to thank Kevin and all of the musicians for participating this year and please remember that we at Catholic Social Services will keep you, your families and intentions in our prayers. St. Cecilia, patron saint of musicians, pray for us!
January 22, 2016 marked the 43rd anniversary of the Supreme Court’s Roe v. Wade ruling legalizing abortion throughout all nine months of pregnancy for virtually any reason. The death and destruction caused by this abominable judicial fiat staggers the mind.
Estimates put the death toll from reported abortions nearing 60 million since the Court’s ruling in 1973. And this number does not include the countless unborn lives lost due to abortifacient contraception. In addition to destroying these precious gifts from God, abortion has wounded the hearts, minds and souls of millions of women and men connected to these abortions.
Soon-to-be Saint Teresa of Calcutta described the aftermath of Roe this way: “America needs no words from me to see how your decision in Roe vs. Wade has deformed a great nation. The so-called right to abortion has pitted mothers against their children and women against men. It has sown violence and discord at the heart of the most intimate human relationships. It has aggravated the derogation of the father’s role in an increasingly fatherless society. It has portrayed the greatest of gifts—a child—as a competitor, an intrusion and an inconvenience.”
In response to this destruction, and 43 years of a ruling that some insisted settled the abortion question in our nation, the pro-life movement has stubbornly persisted to oppose the injustice of abortion, to proclaim the truth about human life and to proclaim God’s infinite mercy to those involved with abortion.
In his statement on this anniversary of Roe, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, chair of the U.S. Bishops’ Pro Life Committee, pointed out that “despite the endorsement of our highest legal tribunal and many political and cultural elites, [abortion] is as controversial as ever. Most Americans oppose a policy allowing legal abortion for virtually any reason – though many still do not realize that this is what the Supreme Court gave us. Most want to protect unborn children at later stages of pregnancy, to regulate or limit the practice of abortion, and to stop the use of taxpayer dollars for the destruction of unborn children.”
Yet, Cardinal Dolan points out, “many who support important goals of the pro-life movement do not identify as ‘pro-life,’ a fact which should lead us to examine how we present our pro-life vision to others.”
“In taking up this challenge,” Dolan continues, “we who present the pro-life message must always strive to be better messengers.
“A cause that teaches the inexpressibly great value of each and every human being cannot show disdain or disrespect for any fellow human being. We should celebrate human freedom, always reminding others that this freedom is ours so we can freely choose the good – and that to enjoy this freedom, each of us must first of all be allowed to live.
“And especially in this Year of Mercy, we recall with Pope Francis that each human life is created by a God whose love is infinite – and that this same love is a source of unbounded mercy and forgiveness for all who have fallen short of God’s plans for us. For its part, through the healing ministry of Project Rachel, the Catholic Church seeks to offer this gift of God’s mercy and reconciliation to all who have been involved in abortion.”
Last Friday, thousands of pro-lifers witnessed to the sanctity of life and the injustice of abortion at the March for Life in Washington D.C. This included 14 busloads of students from Nebraska! Their pilgrimage became a sacrifice when they got stuck in a snowstorm on the return trip. If there was a silver lining to that sacrifice it is that the faith-filled, life-affirming witness of these students garnered national attention that the March itself did not attract.
This Saturday, the annual Nebraska Walk for Life will take place at the Capitol in Lincoln. A pro-life Mass precedes the Walk at 9 a.m. at St. Mary Church, across from the Capitol. The Walk begins at 10 a.m. on the north steps of the Capitol. Please come and be a pro-life witness to our state.
Related slideshow: Nebraska Walk for Life 2015
“The Westing Game,” by Ellen Raskin
Penguin Books, New York, 1978, 182 pages, Grades 7 and higher.
In the nearly 10 years that I have been writing the “Children’s Literature Bookshelf,” I have strenuously tried to never attack an author’s literary position. While I will continue to seek to recommend books of high literary value, one important issue raised in this novel that needs to be addressed.
“The Westing Game” by Ellen Raskin won the Newbery Medal for the “most distinguished contribution to children’s literature” in 1979. It is a complicated but fascinating book, with its many subplots and endearing characters. On some lists it has been voted as one of the top 100 adolescent novels in history. It is not surprising to me that the novel has achieved such renown, given its literary qualities.
Having said all these flattering things about the book, I now find myself attacking Raskin’s viewpoint. I accuse her of supporting and justifying genetic selection at the conclusion of the book.
Sam Westing, a millionaire, has agreed to give his inheritance to the relative who deciphers the puzzles involved in his estate. The central character, Turtle Wexler, cleverly puts all the pieces together by story’s end. Almost all the characters in the novel exhibit the normal flaws we see in people. Only one person, 15-year-old Chris Theodorakis, is consistently kind and charitable to everyone in the story. As well, Chris is the only character in the book with a serious disability.
As the “normal” people plot against those who may gain the inheritance, Chris watches birds flying over Lake Michigan and tries to be helpful to everyone. Gentle Chris is in a wheelchair and goes into twitches and spasms at times. Ellen Raskin presents Chris in a generous light throughout the novel but at the conclusion shows a horrible blindness towards the disabled.
During the moving and poignant ending, one of the characters suddenly reveals that she is not going to have children because they may inherit Chris’ disease. The author presents this statement as though there are no problems with deciding to not have children because of the risk of genetic problems. Raskin presents the decision as a sad but necessary thing to do. Because it is necessary, the decision becomes almost noble.
This brings us to the next issue. In the novel, the only truly admirable person is Chris Theodorakis. While the other characters grow in maturity and express authentic love at times, Chris expresses love at all times. Having treated Chris with tenderness throughout the novel, the author then leaves the reader with the impression that it is a good thing to make sure that people with genetic problems, like Chris Theodorakis, are never born. But why would you eliminate the most virtuous person in the book? Quite simply, because he requires additional care which makes him expensive and not useful. We will put him out of our misery. Unfortunately for “normal people” this also takes away the person capable of teaching life’s lessons in learning charity.
Everyone saw St. John Paul II as a tower of strength early in his papacy. It seemed that there was nothing he could not do. This made him appear useful. At the end of his life, afflicted with Parkinson’s disease, the Holy Father could barely stand or talk. How “useful” was he then? To stand and address groups he needed to cling to his crosier to keep from falling down. Many people did not read his splendid encyclicals, but few did not understand that important lesson the pope taught. We can only stand if we place our trust in God and cling to the cross of Christ.
Your children will be exposed to the evils of euthanasia and genetic selection. Teach them to resist these sinful ideas. These plans both oppose God’s law and kill people like Chris Theodorakis whom God has sent to teach “normal” people how to live holy lives. Remember that through the guidance of the Church you are the primary educators of your children. Reject evil external forces that try to impose their wills on your families. Let’s be like St. John Paul II, and draw our strength and courage by leaning on the Cross.
I bet you have heard the saying, “Good fruit does not fall far from a good tree.”
Where does this saying come from? It comes from the Word Made Flesh, Jesus Christ. He said, “You will know them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorns, or figs from thistles? So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, you will know them by their fruits” (Mt 7:16-20).
Recently, a 4-year-old girl named Peyton Kathe, a preschooler at North American Martyrs School in Lincoln, received two winter coats for Christmas. After learning of her good fortune, Tom Kathe (her grandfather) asked, “Which coat do you like best?”
“Both!” She replied.
Grandpa then suggested, “Why not give one of your coats to a little girl who does not have one?”
At this suggestion, her eyes widened and she answered in the affirmative and immediately wanted to go and give one of her two coats personally to another little girl who needed one. I should mention that there was a cute, matching t- shirt to go along with the coat.
We know, as Christians, this behavior does not come out of a vacuum. After the seeds of faith, hope and charity were instilled in her soul at baptism, they were obviously nourished by the loving and generous examples of her parents and grandparents; otherwise, this response most likely would have not happened.
In addition to the above, this was a teaching moment which will affect her as she grows into the loving Christian woman God is calling her to become, someone who is selfless and not selfish. That said, my gratitude extends not only to her, but to her parents and grandparents.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our supporters who because of their generosity we are able to help the many individuals and families who come to us in crisis on a daily basis. Why? Because, good fruit does not fall far from a good tree.
“From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil W. Frankweiler,” by E.L. Konigsburg
Atheneum, New York, 1967, 162 pages, reading level: grades 4-5, comprehension and understanding level grade 7 and above.
Occasionally, children dream of running away from home on an adventure. This whole idea gives them the opportunity to think of some exotic world where they can explore new ideas and be the stars of the story. It allows children to face challenges they do not encounter in their daily lives and make personal decisions that cannot ordinarily occur.
To a certain extent, these fantasies serve as a “Robinson Crusoe” escape for children. E. L. Konigsburg has created one of the all-time favorite stories about this type of adventure in her enduring and loved novel, “From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler.”
Bored with her ordinary life, 11-year-old Claudia Kincaid longs to experience something extraordinary. Claudia wants an adventure that is free of her family restraint but not too dangerous. With planning being her strong suit, Claudia carefully develops an idea. She will sneak away from her comfortable, suburban life in Connecticut and hide out in New York City.
But of course she doesn’t want anything unpleasant to happen on this escapade so she decides that the Metropolitan Museum of Art would be an ideal place to hide out. There are beautiful paintings and pieces of furniture in the Museum, which would surround her with a pleasant experience.
The problem is that Claudia doesn’t know how to quit spending her allowance, so she has no money. Because of this she recruits her 9- year-old brother James for the adventure. James tends to be impulsive, but he knows how to manage money, as he regularly saves all of his allowance. Additionally, James is good at cheating at cards and winning more money.
Because of his wealth – $24.43, most of which is in nickels and pennies – Claudia chooses him as her partner. The two children hide away on a school bus and later take a train to Grand Central Station in New York.
James insists that they do not have enough money to take a taxi, which is Claudia’s preference, so they trudge the 40 blocks to the museum. Inside the vast building, they begin dodging the security police and finding a place to hide in the museum. But something quickly catches their attention. There is a beautiful statue of an angel in the museum. The statue has no sculptor’s name attached to it. Claudia believes that she can prove the statue was carved by Michelangelo. With this new purpose, the running away from home turns from an adventure to a mission to authenticate an invaluable Renaissance statue. What happens?
Do the children find the clues to the sculptor of the angel? Do they return home? What do they discover about the effects of their actions on their family? Who is Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and the mysterious Mr. Saxonberg? To find out, go to the library and check out one of the most delightful novels ever written in children’s literature.
The humor in this book is much higher than the reading level. The children stretch the truth at times but one Sunday also ask for forgiveness in a Museum room filled with stained glass, which reminds them of church. This book is an ideal read for reflective children trying to work out some of life’s complexities in a secure, delightful setting.
I hope you get a chance to encourage middle school and older students to read this 1968 Newbery Award winning novel. Adults will also laugh at the hysterical comments James makes to his sister and to Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler at the end of the book. It is well worth the trip to the library. Enjoy!
Just minutes before typing these words, I talked to a single woman who is struggling to keep her head above water and to avoid homelessness. She is employed, but because of debt (including past school loans and some garnishing of wages and daycare costs), she is behind in her rent. Because of the generosity of our benefactors, we will be able to help this woman.
On Thursday, Jan. 14, Bishop James Conley blessed our brand new “Gianna’s Java and Gelato” in Lincoln. After blessing it, he presented us a beautiful print of St. Gianna which we have hung above the fireplace. I informed everyone that, providentially, I had received earlier that morning an email from Dr. Gianna Emanuela, the daughter for whom St. Gianna gave her life.
After the blessing, we served food items that are served daily, and, of course, our delicious handcrafted gelato, made on-site from genuine ingredients imported from Italy and in our gelato machine (also imported from Italy). I am happy that, after taking months to develop our own blend of coffee, everyone loved it, too.
It is a unique project in that it may very well be the only gelato and coffee shop in the Lincoln Diocese that makes the gelato on-site. As some of you know, Msgr. Thomas Fucinaro, one of our priests of the diocese, works in Rome at the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of Sacraments. He recently visited Gianna’s and later told Father Robert Matya, who is the vocations director for the diocese and the chaplain of St. Thomas Aquinas Church and Newman Center downtown, that our gelato is the “real deal,” just like what you get in Rome!
Just to reiterate, 100% of the profits will be used to help needy individuals and families, ladies and their children at St. Gianna’s, and single mothers who are struggling to avoid homelessness like the woman whose story I outlined above.
I would like to thank the two anonymous donors who made this dream come true and all who helped make this happen. Thanks also to those who are and will become addicted to our coffee and gelato!
Please keep the success of Gianna’s Java and Gelato in your prayers and PLEASE, do not give up gelato or coffee this Lent! I would rather you give up your New Year’s resolutions! St. Gianna, pray for us!
The second session of the 104th Legislature of the Nebraska Unicameral is off and running, as of Jan. 6. Each Legislature involves a two-year cycle with the first year’s session (in odd-numbered years) lasting 90 days and the second year’s session (in even-numbered years) lasting 60 days.
Legislative days include only those days the Legislature is in session and conducting business (i.e. not weekends, recess days or holidays). Hence the 90-day session lasts from early January until mid-June and the 60-day session lasts from early January until mid-April.
Bills are introduced by senators during the first 10 legislative days of each session. During the first session (2015), 664 bills were introduced. About one-third of those bills were enacted.
Those bills introduced in the first session that are not enacted or “killed” carry over to the second session. Whether a carryover bill sees action in the second session depends upon a number of factors (e.g. whether it is designated as a priority bill by its introducer or another senator, and whether it received debate time in the first session).
During the first four days of bill introduction this session there have been more than 200 additional bills introduced. By the time the last day of bill introduction occurs (Jan. 20) there will undoubtedly be dozens more bills introduced.
Among the weighty issues of this session will be the budget shortfall, demands for property tax relief, a prison expansion proposal, gun laws, Medicaid expansion, road funding and medical marijuana.
There may also be a continued push for bills expanding homosexual rights, especially following the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling last summer legalizing same-sex “marriage.” One of the bills carried over from 2015 is LB 586. This bill, which the Nebraska Catholic Conference opposes, would prohibit discrimination in employment on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. It is possible that this or a similar bill could be debated in this session.
As for the Nebraska Catholic Conference (NCC), which represents the mutual interests of the Catholic Bishops in Nebraska, our priorities will include the following: the rights and dignity of human life at every stage, family life, marriage, human sexuality, assistance for those in poverty, Catholic education, religious freedom and conscience rights. Besides these priorities, there will likely be many other issues of concern to the Church that will be followed by NCC.
One of the tools the Nebraska Catholic Conference uses to inform and activate Catholics on important and priority public policy matters is the Catholic Advocacy Network Nebraska (CANN). Members receive occasional email updates and action alerts as urgent matters arise.
Through the use of Voter Voice on our website (www.necatholic.org) we provide members with the names and contact information of their elected representatives. We also provide action alerts with pre-written messages that can be sent to a person’s representatives with a quick and easy click of a “mouse.” Making your voice heard in the public arena has never been easier!
There are currently about 3,900 members of CANN, which is a decent start, but with about 400,000 Catholics in Nebraska, I know we can do much better. If you are not already signed up please go to www.necatholic.org and take a couple of minutes to sign up. If you are already a member, please ask at least one more person to join.
If you are into social media, you can also help us (and receive more frequent updates) by “liking” our Facebook page (search for “Nebraska Catholic Conference”) and by following us on Twitter (@NECatholic).
With little effort, 10,000 members of CANN is easily attainable and will significantly increase the influence of the Nebraska Catholic Conference on important legislation. The voices of constituents (even by email!) can be very influential in how a senator votes on a piece of legislation. A few minutes of your time can make a significant contribution toward building a civilization of life and love and in pushing back against the culture of death.
“Whippoorwill,” by Joseph Monninger
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Boston, 2015, 275 pages, Grades 5-8.
Adolescence is often a confusing, difficult period of time in people’s lives. As childhood is being left behind, teenagers face a bewildering set of challenges. Their bodies are changing and with this change they often feel emotionally vulnerable. Their awkwardness can make them confused and frightened.
In literature, this has given rise to the “coming of age” novel. One of the first brilliant examples of this type of literature was the 1959 novel by John Knowles entitled “A Separate Peace.” Coming of age novels have continued to evolve in subsequent decades.
The brokenness of our contemporary world is usually part of the literature. This isn’t because authors want to write florid prose, but because many children live in difficult situations. Joseph Monninger has written a touching coming of age novel entitled “Whippoorwill.” In this novel, 16-year-old Clair Taylor learns that maturity is usually gained by going through painful life experiences that bring about understanding and love.
‘Whippoorwills’ are people living in decrepit houses with yards filled with old, rusted cars. Frequently their yards reflect their lives, which have been pulled apart and damaged. Clair Taylor lives next door to such a family.
Eighteen-year-old Danny Stewart lives with his mean father, Elwood Stewart. They have an old dog named Wally that Elwood has chained to a pole. Clair is so upset by Elwood’s treatment of the dog that she tries to take care of Wally. Soon, Danny is helping her clean up and train the old dog.
Tragically, both children have lost their mothers. Clair’s mother was killed in an automobile accident and Danny’s mother could not take Elwood’s brutality and has fled. Clair’s father is a good man trying the best he can to raise his daughter. But both children are motherless. This has left a hole in the hearts of Clair and Danny.
But when they start training Wally, they begin to experience goodness and happiness. As well, they feel a strange sensation for the first time. Clair begins to look at Danny and starts feeling somewhat lightheaded. Danny can’t quite figure out how to talk to a girl, but he keeps trying.
As this confusing romance continues, they continue to train Wally. As they show the dog compassion, they learn about charity and acceptance. Some of their brokenness starts to heal, but Danny’s father continues to harm him. It results in a final violent attack.
Throughout everything, Clair continues to learn about love and acceptance. She realizes how much her father cares for her and also learns about her own courage. Part of this comes from everything Wally teaches her. So how does an old broken down dog do this?
What does Wally teach Clair and Danny? Why does Clair learn that while life is usually not a fairy tale, caring and loving people can give life meaning and purpose? Why is Clair so much stronger at the end of the story? To find out the answers to these questions, go to the library and check out “Whippoorwill” by Joseph Monninger.
This a poignantly told story. Monninger does not gloss over the damage evil can cause in people. The author shows us people finding their way in a difficult world, as well. You can’t help but admire how Claire and her father respond to their situation. Throughout the entire story, Wally simply wants to love and be loved. In many ways, everyone is taught by this kind animal.
This is not a light read, but Monninger presents us with real characters trying to work out the broken parts of their lives. We see painful situations and people showing great courage to overcome these problems. It is a fine novel.
Not long ago, as Curt Krueger sat down at a local fast food restaurant, he spied a middle-aged woman sitting in front of him who was weeping. After wolfing his sandwich down, he asked if he could sit with her. He soon found out she was homeless. Because of the generosity of our benefactors, he bought her something to eat, gave her gloves, purchased groceries, and was able to get her off the streets.
One of the things we hate to do around here is to say ‘no’ to a request for help. However, since we must live within our means, we can only spend what we are given. This is the reason we have opened Gianna’s Java & Gelato on 23rd and O streets in the heart of our St. Joseph’s Center campus. It is just another way of generating funds to assist needy individuals and families who we come across in need… many of whom are in tears.
Our new venture is a place where individuals can come for coffee, handcrafted gelato made in-house, along with something to eat. Our hours are 6 a.m. till 9 p.m. We have a drive-thru for those who are in a hurry going to or from work, or anywhere else. We even have a beautiful fireplace for those who want to warm themselves by the fire with a hot cup of coffee.
Our breakfast menu includes the now-famous G.U.B.R. (Gianna Ultimate Breakfast Round—which contains 100% whole grain, fiber, cinnamon and brown sugar and 0 trans fats), several breakfast sandwiches, made-to-order omelets, cinnamon rolls, and scones. Our lunch and dinner menu includes Italian, American or veggie roll-ups, sandwiches, and grab-and-go salads, to name a few.
Our La Marzotto espresso machine is imported from Italy and we have our own special blends of coffee. Our assistant manager Dave Walbrecht was specially trained to make gelato right here on site with our gelato machine and ingredients both imported from Italy. In addition, our gelato display case is also from Italy as our gelato is served at the proper temperature.
Bishop Conley blessed our new shop Jan. 14 and our official grand opening is Friday, Jan. 15. We invite you to come and visit Gianna’s Java & Gelato — good coffee, good food and a great cause! I would like to thank God for his graces in helping us get this off the ground and our two anonymous donors who made this possible.
Please pray for the success of this new endeavor as we strive to help more needy individuals and families, and please remember not to give up coffee or gelato for Lent! St. Gianna, pray for us!
“Baboushka and the Three Kings: Adapted from a Russian Folk Tale”
by Ruth Robbins, illustrated by Nicholas Sidjakov.
Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1960, 21 pages, Grades K-2.
In some cultures, the Epiphany or the Feast of the Three Kings is nearly as important as Christmas. St. Matthew tells us the actual events in Chapter 2 of his marvelous Gospel. But the Three Kings or Three Wise Men have been the source of many interesting stories and folktales. In Mexico, there is a festival where children go from house to house asking the residents if they have seen the Infant Jesus. In Russia the Epiphany is also a popular feast. The family has always been the center of Russian life and the grandmother or the Baboushka usually plays a prominent role in many Slavic tales. In the Russian folktale about the Three Kings, Ruth Robbins uses the grandmother as a main character and the cold winter snow as a backdrop for the tale.
As the story begins we see the Baboushka diligently working around her small cozy house during a snowstorm. Just when she thinks her day is settling down, there is the sound of a trumpet outside. This is followed by a knock on the door. She is astonished as she opens the door. Outside there is a procession of travelers following a magnificent sleigh. Three of the men in the group are wearing jeweled crowns and are clothed in cloaks of ermine. The Baboushka has never seen anything like this in her entire life. These three men are obviously kings and she looks at them in wonder. They have extremely kind dispositions and smile at her and say that they are searching for the Holy Baby. They tell her that they have been following a bright star to the site of the Nativity but that they have lost their way in the snowstorm. They beg the grandmother to join their journey to bring gifts to the Holy Child. But as the Babouska looks out into the cold, snowy night, she shivers and invites the Three Kings into her humble house to get warm. She promises to go with them in the morning, but this night is too cold and cruel. But the Three Kings tell the old lady that there is not time to waste. They need to be searching for the Christ Child immediately.
But the Babouska refuses to go out into the snowy night. With this answer, the Three Kings turn around and disappear into the snowstorm. Laying in her snug and warm house, the Babouska is very unsettled. Why wasn’t she willing to risk some danger to find the Baby Jesus? After tossing and turning all night, the morning finally breaks. With this the old lady gets dressed and rushes into the cold snow looking for the Three Kings. But does she find them?
What happens during Baboushka’s search? Can you ever find Christ without some risk? Should she have gone with the Wise Men on the previous evening? Would you have gone out into the snow with the Three Kings? What nice gifts do children across Russia receive because of the Baboushka’s journey? To find out the answers to these questions, go to the library and check out “Baboushka and the Three Kings” by Ruth Robbins.
The pictures in this book are woodcuts. Nicolas Sidjakov won the Caldecott Medal in 1961 for his artistic work. They work very well with this Russian tale about the Three Kings. I hope that you and your family have a wonderful Epiphany on the Feast of the Three Kings. It is a beautiful feast. Enjoy!
There are multiple places in the Old Testament, predicting the coming of the greatest prophet who, in his life, prepared the way of the Lord. He had the singular privilege no other prophet before him had; not only was he a cousin of Jesus in the flesh, but he physically pointed out the messiah by proclaiming, “Behold, the lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29).
Several of these Old Testament passages include, “Thus says the Lord God: Lo, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me” (Mal 3:1). And in another place, “A voice proclaims: In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God” (Isaiah 40:3)!
John the Baptist was so effective preparing the way of the Lord in the lives of others that Jesus Himself said of him, “Amen I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Matthew 11:11). Consoling words, these.
Be reassured that with the grace of God, we too are able to prepare the way of the Lord in the lives of others, spiritually generating children to and for God by bringing them to the Lord. One may wonder how this is done. It is done by imitating Jesus Christ in what we think, say and do. We need not be reminded that our words will be ineffectual if they are not backed up by charity or love.
Just days before Christmas, after heading home to North American Martyrs Parish, I parked in front of the church to say “good night” to the Lord Jesus present in the tabernacle in the beautiful church. I was met by some girl scouts and their mothers. They had just finished having a pre-Christmas party. They wanted to load my car with 50 pounds of food, hygiene items, blankets, pillows and other miscellaneous goodies for the poor. It would have been easy to have gathered without having thought of those who are less well off. I was most grateful and edified.
I am also thankful for having witnessed the love and generosity of our countless benefactors across the diocese and beyond. We have received food, clothing, coats, gloves, hats, boots, autos, cash, and other miscellaneous items.
As for toys, we were able to give toys to nearly 850 families and more than 2,300 children across the Diocese of Lincoln for Christmas!
I would like to thank Almighty God, the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, St. Gianna, St. John the Baptist, all our patron saints, our donors, volunteers and staff for all they do and for being heralds by preparing the way of the Lord in the minds and hearts of others.
Please remember we will keep all of you in our special prayers during this new year and beyond!
Editor's Note: The image of Bishop James Conley reading to children was taken at his staff/family Christmas luncheon Dec. 21.
“The Holy Bible: The Infancy Narratives.”
St. Matthew, Chapter One and Two. St. Luke, Chapter One and Two.
The Sacred Fathers of Vatican II issued the beautiful Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation (Dei Verbum). The purpose of the wonderful document was to encourage all the members of the Church to be led to a deeper love of God through His Holy Word. Since the Sacred Scriptures are “alive and active” (Heb. 4:12) they should be brought into family life at every opportunity.
As the Council Fathers teach: “in the sacred books, the Father who is in heaven meets His children with great love and speaks to them; and the force and power in the word of God is so great that it stands as the support and energy of the Church, the strength of faith for her sons, the food of the soul, the pure and everlasting source of spiritual life.” (Dei Verbum, Chapter VI)
My father-in-law, Edward Dailey, understood the beauty and need to share the accounts of the birth of the Messiah. Each Christmas Eve, before opening the presents, he would either read the Infancy Narrative from St. Matthew or St. Luke. The reading of the birth of Jesus by the patriarch of the family impressed the importance of this holy event. We all understood that the presents could wait, because God the Father had sent the perfect present to humanity. This glorious present was His Son, Christ the Lord.
So Edward would slowly read the Gospel passages as all the family members listened to the Heavenly Father coming to meet us in these letters of love.
The Evangelists choose different aspects of the Nativity to emphasize. St. Matthew recounts the role of St. Joseph throughout birth of Our Savior. In Chapter One, the angel tells St. Joseph to take Mary into his household, because “she has conceived by the Holy Spirit” (St. Matthew, Chapter One). St. Joseph’s earthly fatherhood is emphasized since the angel tells him to name the Holy Child. St. Matthew demonstrates that Jesus is the fulfillment of all the Old Testament prophesies concerning the Messiah. In Chapter Two, the Magi arrive causing fear and hatred in King Herod. This leads to the Massacre of the Holy Innocents and the Flight into Egypt.
St. Luke develops the role of the Blessed Mother in these marvelous events. In Chapter One, St. Luke recounts the Annunciation and the Visitation which culminates with one of the most profound prayers in all of Sacred Scripture, The Magnificat. In Chapter Two, St. Luke tells us of the birth of Jesus and of Mary wrapping Him in swaddling clothes and laying Him in a humble manger. In St. Luke’s Gospel we meet the shepherds coming to meet and adore Jesus. Both accounts of the birth of Our Lord are poignant, personal and edifying.
My father-in-law would ask us each year which of the Gospel accounts we wanted to hear. Then, in a deep baritone voice, he would bring us the Word of God. It made Christmas Eve a memorable and holy event. I would encourage each family to make this a family custom. The reading makes a strong impression on children because they see the parent recounting the story of our salvation. It is both instructive and pleasing for children to hear the Infancy Narratives. It will increase their love for Christ and deepen their faith. Have a joyful Christmas!
“Eternal Father, You call us to engage the world so that Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, might be made visible in the words and actions of Your servants.” These are the opening words to a prayer for the work of the Nebraska Catholic Conference that was written by the Carmelite Sisters from the Carmel of Jesus, Mary and Joseph in Valparaiso. The staff of the Nebraska Catholic Conference prays this prayer together at the beginning of each work day.
While many Catholics may know about the work of the Catholic Conference, undoubtedly many more have never heard (or know little) about the Conference. The Conference represents the voice of the Bishops in Nebraska in the public policy arena.
In this capacity, NCC monitors and interacts with all three branches of state government for the purpose of promoting public understanding of the Church’s teachings and concerns about morality, justice, health, welfare, education, and human rights. We engage our representatives on the federal level in the same way but in conjunction with the work of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
In addition to our lobbying activities, a large part of our work involves informing and advising the dioceses, parishes, other Church organizations and interested individuals concerning the public-policy processes, activities of the political community and the moral and social dimensions and implications of public issues.
Engaging the world, especially in the public policy arena, so as to make visible our Lord Jesus Christ can be very difficult. This is especially true in our current society where the very nature and meaning of human life, love and sexuality, and marriage are redefined in ways that are entirely alien to their Creator.
The difficulty in being faithful and engaged Christians is also compounded by other factors. One of these factors is an increasing hostility and intolerance in our secular society toward those who publicly proclaim and defend the truth about human life, love and marriage as given to us by Jesus Christ.
It is easy to understand the temptation to quietly go about our lives and avoid addressing and opposing unjust actions because they are unpleasant and contentious. It takes courage to step out of our comfort zone and stand up for what is right and just and true, especially when it could come at some cost to our relationships, reputation, or our livelihood.
Another factor is a general increase in distractions and unnecessary busy-ness that competes with our Christian responsibility to “go into the vineyard and proclaim the Good News”. There is a saying that those the devil can’t make bad he makes busy.
Everyone certainly has legitimate priority responsibilities (faith, family, marriage, work) and we can certainly engage the world in these contexts. But we cannot overlook our Christian responsibility to engage in the political life of society.
In their recently updated “Faithful Citizenship” document, the U.S. Bishops point out that “[i]n the Catholic Tradition, responsible citizenship is a virtue, and participation in political life is a moral obligation. ‘People in every nation enhance the social dimension of their lives by acting as committed and responsible citizens’ (Evangelii Gaudium, no. 220).
“The obligation to participate in political life is rooted in our baptismal commitment to follow Jesus Christ and to bear Christian witness in all we do. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us, ‘It is necessary that all participate, each according to his position and role, in promoting the common good. This obligation is inherent in the dignity of the human person.... As far as possible citizens should take an active part in public life” (nos. 1913-1915).
In just a couple of weeks, the Nebraska Legislature will begin its 2016 session and is likely to debate legislation that impacts the rights and dignity of human life and sexuality as well as children and families. The Nebraska Catholic Conference needs the voices of Catholics around the state to join with ours so we can more effectively advance the cause of human life and love and resist policies that undermine it.
One simple way to help us is to join Catholic Action Network Nebraska so we can inform and mobilize you on important public policy matters. You can sign up on our website at www.necatholic.org.
In the lore that is early Nebraska history, on the night of November 21, 1866, in a grocery store owned by Will King in Omaha, Woolsey Higgins locked up $1,500 in the store’s safe. That was a lot of money in those days since the entire budget of Mercy Hospital (also known as St. Joseph) was $15,000.
To the store’s newly-hired clerk, Otway Baker, this amount of money was too much to pass up. As he and Woolsey slept in the back of the store, he waited until Woolsey was fast asleep. It was then that he bludgeoned the poor bookkeeper in the head, stole the money, burned the store in the attempt to cover his crime, and buried the money in an oyster can under the wooden sidewalk. He was promptly arrested and convicted for the crime and sentenced to death by hanging.
Soon after his arrest, the Sisters of Mercy started visiting him. At first he resisted their entreaties, but later surrendered to the all merciful God and requested a priest.
After some brief instructions, while the gibbet was being prepared for his hanging, he was baptized by Father Patrick Egan of St. Phenomena. He was even able to assist several times at Mass that was offered by Father Egan at the jail.
On February, 14, 1868, he was hanged for his crime. He also, before his death, made a public confession and revealed the location of the hidden loot.
As we meditate on the coming of the Christ Child to us at Christmas, let us be reminded that He came to set us all free.
Remember the words of Simeon as he held the Christ Child in his hands, “Mine eyes have seen the salvation which thou hast prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for the revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory to thy people Israel” (Lk 2:30-32).
As Jesus Himself started His public ministry He said, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me ... He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives” (Lk 4:18). Yes… Jesus, by His Incarnation, death and resurrection, has come to free us from the slavery of sin and death.
During this most holy time of year, please pray for the conversion of sinners and for our various ministries at CSS- including our prison ministry, where by the grace of God, conversions like the one described above continue to occur.
Thank you for your love and support and remember, we at Catholic Social Services are praying for you. Have a blessed and merry Christmas!
Dear Readers: I hope you have enjoyed the Children’s Literature Bookshelf this year. Buying books for your children, grandchildren, nephews and nieces is one of the most pleasant Christmas activities of the season. Of course, reading these books with your loved ones is even more enjoyable. I hope the list of books reviewed will give you some ideas for books that might make nice Christmas presents.
It has been an honor to have written these book talks for the Southern Nebraska Register. Thanks for the book recommendations and encouragement you have given me. I hope you and your family have a joyful Christmas.
And then there was a man named John the Baptist. We all would do well not only meditating on the life of St. John the Baptist, but also talking to and asking him for his prayers so we can become, ‘greater than he.’
Remember these words of Jesus? “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has risen no one greater than John the Baptist” (Mt 11:11).
Yet in the same breath Jesus went on to say, “Yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
In other words, we are called to follow the example of this last and greatest of the prophets who, unlike any other Old Testament prophet, saw Jesus with his own eyes, in surrendering completely in a humble manner. In imitating him, God will not necessarily take our crosses away, but just as in the life of John the Baptist, he will help us carry them. In addition, God will use us to do great things–to be a herald of the good news of the gospel, to be an instrument of conversion of our neighbors… in short, an instrument of miracles.
As you might know, we at Catholic Social Services are involved in prison and jail ministry. Several weeks ago, at one of the local jails, a prisoner entered the small conference room where I was preparing for Mass. I asked, “Here for Mass?” He replied, “Yeah, I was in my unit pacing back and forth, back and forth, going nuts, so I figured, what the h*ll!”
I thought to myself, ‘Oh my, I have a live one….’ Then, seconds later, another man entered the conference room, knelt down and started beating his breast in prayer.
The first man said to the second in a sarcastic and somewhat mocking tone, “Hey, are you, having a heart attack?” The second man replied slightly disturbed, “No, I am trying to pray!” The first man retorted, “Ah, just giving you a little cr*p!”
At that point, I was hoping not to have a fight on my hands. The first man, after having grabbed a chair a few feet in front of the small table I was using as an altar, slouched down and crossed his arms in boredom.
Then, during my brief homily while explaining what St. John the Baptist meant when he said, “Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight” (Lk 3:4), this same man’s face became red and his eyes puffy. And during the Eucharistic prayer and consecration, he fell on his knees and joined his hands in prayer. It was evident that this man, in the depth of his misery, cracked the door of his heart open to the Lord, allowing the Holy Spirit to enter like a flood. He was on the verge of tears. After Mass he said in a respectful tone, “Father, I need to talk!”
My prayer is that you truly open your heart to the Lord and surrender completely. God will most certainly give you all the graces necessary to carry your crosses and will use you as an instrument to bring others to Him.
Please pray for the prisoner described above and for our jail and prison ministry. If you feel called to help in this most rewarding ministry, please contact me. We pray you will continue to, “Make his paths straight,” in your heart!
St. John the Baptist, pray for us!
I will never forget on a cold winter day just minutes before closing on a Friday afternoon, a young man battling cancer came in for help. I immediately noticed he was without a winter coat, warm hat and gloves. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we were able to give him a warm coat, hat and gloves. After a stop at a store near his apartment for some groceries, we noticed his apartment was rather cool as he was heating it with his oven. That’s why the oven door was left open. Also because of the help of our generous donors, we were able to cover his heating bill.
Just last winter I ran into a homeless man who for a brief time was living in a small tent along one of the bike trails. Since we were near a local fast food restaurant, I treated him to breakfast. It was then I learned that he needed some clothing, too. Again, because of the generosity of our benefactors, we were able to clothe this middle aged man.
Recently, Mark Rezac and Dennis Clare of the Monsignor Helmann Council of the Knights of Columbus at St. John’s in Lincoln paid me a visit. They brought in two cases of brand new children’s coats. The gift couldn’t have been made at a better time. We will use them in one of our annual Christmas giveaways that is just days away. This will help keep many children warm and cozy this winter. Thank you to the members of the KC’s from St. John’s!
Now that winter has arrived, we will be needing more winter clothing such as coats, scarfs, hats, gloves, socks and boots. I always like to keep a stash of these items whenever winter arrives for ‘walk-ins’ like the young man described above. One never knows when, but during every winter, individuals wander into the lobbies of our offices and ask for warm winter clothing. Please look around the closets of your home and consider giving us that extra coat that you almost never wear, and after donating it to CSS, someone will come into our office without a coat and will leave happy and warm.
Please know that we at Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska will keep you, your family and intentions in our prayers!
“Celebrating Hanukkah,”
by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith, photos by Lawrence Migdale
Holiday House, New York, 1996, 32 pages, Grades 3-5.
The Book of Genesis tells us that God established a covenant with the Jewish people. They are a Chosen People, set apart to reveal God’s salvation plan for mankind. This plan will reach totality with the birth of Jesus Christ.
Throughout the centuries, attempts have been made to subjugate the Chosen People through religious persecutions. One of the most violent in Old Testament times occurred about 175 B.C. when the Greek-speaking emperor, Antiochus Epiphanes, tried to forcibly eradicate the Jewish religion. This occurred through martyring faithful Jews, breaking kosher dietary laws and through the erection of a statue of Zeus in the Temple in Jerusalem.
The Jewish revolt against this religious and political persecution is sometimes called the Maccabean Revolt. It is named after the family of Mattathias Maccabee. The most famous family member is the great general, Judas Maccabee. After their victory in retaking the Temple in Jerusalem, the first Festival of Lights, or Hanukkah, occurs.
Many battles led up to the recapture of the Temple in Jerusalem. Nearly destroyed, the Temple lay in ruins. The soldiers in Judas Maccabee’s army clean and repair the Temple. They desire to hold a rededication ceremony but can only find a small amount of oil for the Temple Lamp. Thinking the oil will only burn for several days, they are astonished to discover that the Lamp Oil burns for eight days and nights.
This miraculous, eight-day burning of the Lamp is celebrated each year through the daily lighting of a candle for eight days in Jewish synagogues and homes. It is a particularly joyous event as it represents the liberation of the Jewish nation from religious and political oppression.
The beautiful crafted menorah holds nine candles and takes center stage during Hanukkah. While some menorahs are simply constructed, others are elaborately built religious artifacts. They remind many Christians of lovely candelabras. Eight of the candles represent the eight days the Temple Lamp burned during the restoration of the Temple and one candle is for the daily lighting celebration. This one candle is called “The Shammash.” In Hebrew, this word means “servant” and represents the person lighting one candle each day.
During Hanukkah, special prayers are said in commemoration of the feast, followed by joyous feasts. Children often receive presents such as “Hanukkah Gelt” (money). This can be actual money but today is often foil-wrapped chocolates shaped like coins. As the candles are lit each day, families visit, eat delicious food and share their love for each other. Potato pancakes, or latkes, are frequently eaten during Hanukkah. Made of grated onions, potatoes and whipped eggs, latkes are fried in oil and served piping hot. Though clearly not on the Weight Watchers Diet Plan, latkes fill people with warm comfort and add to the celebration.
Hanukkah is celebrated each year in late November or early December, according to the older Jewish calendar. It is a testimony to the Chosen People refusing to submit to a brutal religious persecution. The great courage shown by Judas Maccabee and his army is rightly celebrated in this beautiful feast.
So the menorah recalls the spiritual importance of this celebration. I hope you get a chance to go to the library and check out this fine book, “Celebrating Hanukkah,” by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith. The latke recipe is found on p. 22 by the way. I’m planning on trying it and hope you will too. Enjoy!
“Homesick: My Own Story”
by Jean Fritz, illustrated by Margo Tomes.
G.P. Putnam’s Sons, New York, 1992, 176 pages, Grades 5-7.
Immigration is constantly in the news. We see people fleeing from Syria, Africa and Latin America. Since no one flees from a good situation, immigrants usually suffer from economic, religious, or ethnic oppression.
What people from the countries of destination may see is the desire of the immigrants to benefit from monetary, political and sociological benefits of new countries. What people in these settled countries may not see is the pain immigrants often suffer when leaving their old lands. For there is a loss as well as a gain in immigration.
Jean Fritz, a famous children’s literature author, was born in China. Her father worked for the Y.M.C.A. in China for many years. Jean was born in China in 1915 and did not leave the country until 1927. Her return to the United States was not without its cost as she relates in her autobiography, “Homesick: My Own Story.”
Hankow is the old capital of the Hubei Province in central China. The Yangtze River flows through the province and next to the city of Hankow. As a young girl, Jean walks down the main street known as The Bund bordering the Yangtze River. All of the administrative offices of Germany, Russia, Japan, France and England are located on this beautiful street. Nearby are the five areas of land, the concessions, that the countries forced China to give them in the late 1800s. These modern sections stand in sharp contrast to the sprawling, messy neighborhoods of Hankow, and are a source of national embarrassment for the Chinese.
However, all of this is unknown to young schoolgirls like Jean. She attends the British School and studies all of her subjects in English. Upon returning home, she begins speaking Chinese with the cook and with Lin Nai-Nai, her amah (nanny). Since she speaks Chinese nearly as well as English, she converses with people she meets while walking along the Bund. The nearby Yangtze River holds a particular fascination for the child and the ships (junks) on the river attract her attention. Jean is quite familiar with different Chinese gods and customs and feels completely at home in Hankow.
But at the same time, her grandmother writes to her about all that is happening at the family farm in America and how glad they will be when Jean and her parents return. Once a letter arrives telling her of the 25 chicks born that day. She quickly writes her grandmother back and tells of seeing a Chinese magician swallowing three yards of fire on the same day. These are very different worlds.
As the years continue, the family is finally to be sent back to the USA. But as they get ready to leave Hankow, a violent war erupts and Jean changes from an American girl fluent in Chinese, to a hated “foreign devil.” When she finally gets back to America she is called a Chinaman and a “chink” by one American classmate. When she is asked to speak Chinese, the students laugh at the language. Jean is so hurt and angry that she then curses her American classmates in Chinese.
So, who is she anyway? What has she gained and what has she lost? She discovers that she is homesick. What should she do?
Jean Fritz has written more than 50 books, and virtually invented the children’s literature biography. Though a great deal of this book explores the feelings of a young teenage girl and is not particular to any culture, other sections discuss real problems people face when living in two very different cultures. Do they belong to either culture or do they belong to both cultures? Jean Fritz accurately describes these painful feelings in her well-written autobiography. This book would be very useful in a social studies class in middle school and I hope you encourage your middle-school students to read it.
Recently a young woman whom I have known for several years, finally, with her children, left her abusive husband.
Last year we provided them a temporary safe place for several days, in the hope that her husband would see the light. After returning, things were better for a short while but now are worse.
Coupled with this, and the fact that one of her daughters is now acting out in a detrimental manner, we have moved them out and they are now under the umbrella of St. Gianna Women’s Homes. I pray this will shake up her husband to finally seek help.
However, we need to prepare her that this may never happen. It is our job to keep them safe and to help them spiritually, psychologically, materially and financially so that after their ‘graduation,’ they will be able to live independently and safely.
On Sunday, Dec. 13, St. Gianna Women’s Homes will host Carole Fest at the beautiful new St. Thomas Aquinas Chapel at the Newman Center located on the corner of 16th and Q streets in Lincoln.
Starting at 2 p.m., local Catholic choirs will perform Advent and Christmas hymns in the stunning new chapel. It will be a way of helping those who attend prepare themselves this Advent season for the spiritual coming of the baby Jesus into their hearts at Christmas which is only a few weeks away. This will also help them prepare for the coming of Jesus at the end of their lives and at the end of time. This is the purpose of Advent.
After the concert, light refreshments will be served, including Christmas cookies and genuine hand-crafted Italian hot chocolate. A beautiful necklace designed by Laura Duggan will be raffled, and beautiful poinsettias will be available for purchase.
Tickets for the concert are $10 per person and $25 per family. All of the proceeds will be used to help the many women who come to us escaping abortion and domestic violence and their children like the family described above.
I would like to thank all of St. Gianna’s board members, volunteers and choirs for their hard work in preparing this year’s annual event to benefit St. Gianna Women’s Homes.
I would also like to thank Father Robert Matya, pastor of the Newman Center, for allowing us to hold this event in his beautiful new chapel dedicated to St. Thomas Aquinas. Please know that we will keep you, your family, and intentions in our prayers. Have a blessed and holy Advent! St. Gianna, pray for us!
Please visit our website at www.cssisus.org or call (402) 430-5626 for more information.
“What if you spent years training to help the sick as a nurse – only to find that to keep your job, you must take part in the killing of a defenseless five-month-old unborn child?
“What if a church in your town lived up to its teaching on healing the sick by providing its employees with excellent health coverage – but was told that is illegal, unless it pays for abortions that violate its teaching on life itself?
“What if your local Catholic charitable agency were providing excellent service for some of the most marginalized people in our society – victims of human trafficking – but lost its federal grant to secular agencies that are less qualified, because it couldn’t comply with a new government mandate to do abortion referrals?”
Richard Doerflinger from the U.S. Bishops’ Pro Life Office highlighted these disturbing scenarios in a recent article. He then pointed out that these scenarios are not projections of a nightmare future but have actually happened recently in our country – and will keep happening, he said, “unless we stand up as citizens and demand a change in the law.”
The first scenario involved a nurse named Cathy DeCarlo, who was forced to assist in an elective late-term abortion at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York on threat of being fired. DeCarlo sued the hospital but the court dismissed her case because the federal law protecting her rights could only be enforced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
“That agency sat on the case for three years,” Doerflinger pointed out, “then declared it resolved after the hospital changed its policy. Cathy never had her day in court, and she and other health care providers remain vulnerable.”
The second scenario is happening in California as its department of managed health care has ordered almost all health coverage statewide – even coverage provided by churches and other religious organizations – to include unlimited abortion coverage.
“California’s mandate violates a federal law known as the Weldon amendment,” Mr. Doerflinger reports, “but the federal agency assigned to enforce it has taken no action since complaints were filed over a year ago. Other states may follow California’s lead,” Doerflinger warns.
The final scenario describes an action by the Obama Administration to take away a federal grant to serve human trafficking victims from the U.S. bishops’ Migration and Refugee Services agency and its nationwide network of Catholic subgrantees in 2011.
“Despite a congressional investigation, and calls for the government to obey its own conscience laws,” Doerflinger reports, “government pressure on pro-life social service providers continues.”
“How can these things happen, if there are laws on the books to protect conscientious objection to abortion?” Doerflinger asks. The problem is that these laws have significant loopholes that opponents of conscience rights have learned to exploit.
“The biggest loophole,” Doerflinger points out, “is that none of these laws includes a ‘private right of action,’ allowing victims of discrimination to go to court to defend their rights. When the only enforcer against a government body’s coercive actions is that same government body, the law can become a paper tiger.”
To close these loopholes and provide a cause of action, Congress is considering a bill called the Abortion Non-Discrimination Act (ANDA). This bill has been incorporated into the House of Representatives’ appropriations bill for funding the department of Health and Human Services, which must be passed by December to continue funding government programs in Fiscal Year 2016.
To get ANDA over the finish line this year, it is critical that our federal representatives hear from us. To facilitate this grassroots action, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has issued an especially urgent action alert and has made it very easy for us to contact our representatives. Simply go online to www.usccb.org/conscience. And then share this with your friends, family, parishioners and co-workers!
“The Diary of Remember Patience Whipple” by Kathryn Lasky.
Scholastic Press, New York, 1996, 174 pages, Grades 3-5.
Each year at Thanksgiving, families gather to celebrate the joyous holiday. For many people this is one of the loveliest days of the year. Fellowships and friendships are shared and a delicious dinner is served.
It is a little hard to remember that the first Thanksgiving was celebrated in October 1621. The Pilgrims had just suffered through a brutal winter in 1620 and many of the settlers had died from disease. A friendly Native American named Squanto showed the Pilgrims how to grow maize and successfully fish in the Cape Cod, Massachusetts area.
But the delightful, three-day, first Thanksgiving occurred because of all the suffering the Pilgrims endured. Kathryn Lasky has written an autobiographical account of a young Pilgrim girl coming to the New World. It is filled with pain and suffering; and joy and hope. The name of this fine book is “The Diary of Remember Patience Whipple.”
The North Atlantic enormous waves pound the 90-foot-long Mayflower. It was designed as a cargo ship but has supposedly been converted into a passenger vessel. The immigrants on board soon discover its limitations as they are crowded together under the main deck. There is virtually no sanitation and the food is both meager and unappealing. Most of the passengers become seasick and start vomiting.
Remember Patience Whipple is one of the passengers. She is a Pilgrim. Remember Patience’s parents have fled England because of their desire to escape from the Anglican religion. Having lived in Holland for several years, the Whipples belatedly realize that their children will be more Dutch than English if they stay in Holland. To stop this and to ensure that they will have complete religious freedom, they decide to move to North America and book passage on the Mayflower.
Remember is called “Mem” by her friends. She carefully records events from the voyage in her diary. There is no glamour in the trip. The passengers do not all belong to the same religion and this causes friction. As well, the trip is very arduous and tempers quickly flare among the passengers. More and more, passengers fall ill from the difficult living conditions and some even die.
Hoping to reach Virginia, after weeks of travail, the Pilgrims finally reach North America. But the ship has been blown off course, and they land off of the coast of Massachusetts. To make matter worse, they disembark Dec. 21, 1620. With little food or shelter, the Pilgrims are soon at the mercy of the brutal New England winter.
During the terrible times that follow, Mem writes an account of everything that happens. After months of suffering, the Pilgrims are able to start farming and fishing. Life begins to return to normal. Maybe it is time to thank God for their blessings. What happens next?
Kathryn Lasky is a masterful writer. She tells Mem’s story through her diary. All the Pilgrims’ joys and sorrows are described. Lasky describes the benevolent interactions between some Native American tribes and the Pilgrims. She also writes of militant encounters with some of the tribes. Since this book is written as a diary, it will most likely be appreciated by readers attuned to internal thoughts and emotions. But the sufferings of Pilgrims like Mem, as well as their joys need to be remembered on Thanksgiving. It is all part of our national heritage.
I hope you get a chance to read this fine book and also hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving. A special thanks to Mrs. Fran Ehlers, the librarian at St. Vincent’s Elementary School is Seward for bringing this book to my attention. Have a delightful Thanksgiving!
I would bet that, for most people, seeing someone cry is unsettling – especially if it is one we love, such as a close relative or friend. Why is it that many of us are not so moved when we read the accounts of Jesus weeping in the scriptures?
“And when he drew near and saw the city he wept over it, saying, ‘Would that even today you knew the things that make for peace! But now they are hid from your eyes. For the days shall come upon you, when your enemies will cast you up a bank about you and surround you, and hem you in on every side, and dash you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave one stone upon another in you; because you did not know the time of your visitation’’’ (Luke 19:41-44).
Why did our Lord Jesus cry as He gazed over the city of Jerusalem? He was contemplating the upcoming destruction of the city of Jerusalem by the Romans. Also, despite His upcoming suffering and death on the cross, many of the inhabitants of Jerusalem would reject Him.
I cannot help but believe that in that moment, His divine intellect informed His human intellect of all people in the future who would also reject Him despite his Incarnation, passion, death, and resurrection. This being the tip of the iceberg of what He experienced in His agony in the garden.
When reading this scripture passage, it should move us to tears and be the cause for our sorrow for past sins and motivation to avoid future sins, rather than for the fear of the loss of heaven and the pains of hell. This is, in essence, the difference between perfect and imperfect sorrow or contrition.
Just days ago, a young single Catholic man I know called our office in tears, because he was unable to pay his rent. He is known to me as an honest, hard-working individual, apparently living paycheck to paycheck. To make a long story short, the catalyst that led to his acute crisis resulted from helping someone in need.
During the celebration of this year’s Thanksgiving holiday, I will thank God for the many blessings He has bestowed upon me: my family; Catholic Social Services (including our staff and
volunteers); and the gift of all of our supporters who are, I am confident, moved by the tears of Jesus Christ, which leads to their generosity (which is directly responsible for giving us the ability to help others).
Because of the love of our supporters who help us spiritually with their prayers and penances, materially with items not needed around their homes or farms, and financially with cash donations, we are able to help countless individuals and families all across the diocese… many of whom are in tears when they contact us for help.
Please know that all of you, your families and intentions remain in our daily prayers.
“Elijah in Jerusalem” by Michael D. O’Brien
Ignatius Press, San Francisco, 2015, 282 pages, grades 11 and higher.
The final book of the Bible, the Book of Revelation or The Apocalypse, is difficult to interpret. It is challenging to understand because it has so much symbolic imagery in the text. The meaning of the Book of Revelation will always remain an educated guess at best.
Novelists have also used the Book of Revelation as a sort of outline for historical events as well. In societies where faith is growing cold and tyranny seemingly to be on the rise, it holds a gripping interest for many people. The basic question is about the appearance of the end times. Michael O’Brien writes about these ideas in his apocalyptic novel, “Elijah in Jerusalem.”
While making no claims of infallibility about the Book of Revelation, he writes a compelling story about the Church under persecution in contemporary times.
Elijah is a Jew saved from the Holocaust through the love of a Catholic man. As he grows into manhood he is at first an atheist, then a Catholic and finally a Carmelite priest. His brilliance and holiness are recognized within the Church. At the same time, governments, multinational corporations and religious bodies begin to desire one giant world society. This society would be a utopia freed from religious and racial injustice.
Within this society a man (“The President”) arises, capable of doing almost anything. He makes peace between warring nations, solves religious disputes and brings a “peace” to the entire world. Unknown to his millions of admirers, he is also a sadistic murderer bent on serving diabolical forces. The pope has privately consecrated Father Elijah a bishop and he is later sent to the Holy Land to try to convert this “great man” from a life of iniquity. He is accompanied on this arduous journey by a holy, simplistic brother named Enoch.
When they get to Jerusalem, the city is buzzing with the news that the President is going to arrive in the Holy City and make a final announcement on Temple Mount about the establishment of an overarching, one-world religion. Situated above the Jewish Wailing Wall, Temple Mount is also a mosque from which Muslims believe that Mohammad ascended to heaven to gain religious knowledge. Obviously, The President will use this site to demonstrate that he has superseded all religions and is bringing forward the totality of religious truth. The President will then preside over this new political/theological order and lead mankind into an era of unsurpassed peace and prosperity.
But Bishop Elijah knows that The President actually worships the father of lies. The bishop has been sent to confront The President and to try to convert him to Christ. As the final confrontation begins, cardinals in the Catholic Church, imams from Islam, rabbis from Judaism and even atheists gather to support The President at this new great announcement. From the select crowd, Bishop Elijah and Brother Enoch step forward and challenge the The President. What happens?
This novel is the third novel in the Father Elijah series. There is a tendency in difficult times to want to know the exact days and times of future events predicted in the Book of Revelation. O’Brien shows that characters with these tendencies have refused to follow sound spiritual direction, because “that day or that hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Mark 13:32)
But O’Brien’s novel accurately uses fiction to paint a picture of a society discounting God’s divine assistance and replacing it with man-made plans. The current events he so strikingly writes about can be seen throughout contemporary society. The best advice comes from Our Lord: “Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time will come.” (Mark 13:33) I hope you get a chance to read this fine novel.
Finally, after many years of prayer, Gianna’s Java & Gelato is weeks away from opening in Lincoln.
Just minutes before typing these words, I received a call from a friend who is desperately trying to find a safe place to house a young, pregnant woman (with a toddler in tow) who has escaped a violent man. Fortunately, we have room at St. Gianna’s Women’s Home. Since the demand exceeds our available resources, sometimes we have to say no. This is the most difficult part of our job.
Now, because of Gianna’s Java & Gelato, there will be more income generated for Catholic Social Services, which will be used to help even more needy individuals and families. This is because all the proceeds will be used to help those who come to us in crisis.
Over the last several months, Dave Walbrecht, our chief executive chef, has perfected the art of making gelato and sorbetto. Gelato is lower in fat than regular ice cream and contains less air so the flavors are more intense. Sorbetto is water-based. Our machine and ingredients are all imported from Italy and our gelato and sorbetto will be hand-crafted, daily, on-site.
We also have our own blend of coffee (available for purchase), with a breakfast, lunch and dinner menu. Included are delicious fresh-baked cinnamon rolls. We will also have all of the ‘foofy flavored’ coffees, thanks to Jake Mousel, our coffee expert.
Patrons may dine inside or use our drive-thru window. Gift cards are now available for any desired amount - a perfect Christmas gift!
If you do choose to dine in, we will have an intimate dining area with a fireplace - the best place for husbands or boyfriends to take their wives or girlfriends as they tell them they are the best thing God has given them on earth as their wives and girlfriends whisper ‘sweet nothings’ into their ears.
On Friday, Nov. 6, we had a special tasting event open to the public. Of the coffee, gelato and sorbetto served, not much was left over. Everyone enjoyed it.
Please keep this new endeavor in your prayers. If you get a hankering for some genuine hand-crafted gelato and a cup of hot coffee, we will be waiting for you at Gianna’s Java & Gelato, located on our beautiful St. Joseph’s campus at 23rd and O streets in Lincoln.
Saints Joseph and Gianna, pray for us!
Many Americans have observed with great alarm the meteoric advance and acceptance of homosexuality and same-sex “marriage” in our nation. Working with equal persistence, and grabbing the coattails of the homosexual movement’s recent successes, is the so-called transgender or gender identity movement.
Transgender persons perceive themselves to be a gender other than their biological sex at birth. The gender identity movement rejects the biological reality that humans are made either male or female and insists that gender is a social construct that is moveable along a spectrum that is fluid and changeable.
For example, the University of Nebraska includes a “transguide” on its website that defines “transgender” as follows:
“Transgender is an umbrella term covering behaviors, expressions and identities that challenge the binary male/female gender system in a given culture. It is a self-identified term that can apply to anyone who transcends the conventional definitions of ‘man’ and ‘woman’ and whose self-identification or expression challenges traditional notions of ‘male’ and ‘female’ (including transsexuals, crossdressers, drag queens and kings, genderqueers, masculine-identified females, feminine-identified males, two-spirit people, male-to-females, female-to-males, bearded women, transmen, transwomen and others who cross or transgress traditional gender categories).”
What causes a person to think they are a gender other than their biological sex at birth? Not even the experts seem to know. According to Jack Drescher, a New York psychiatrist who was part of the American Psychiatric Association’s work group on gender identity, “The truth is we actually don’t know what it is. Is it a mental disorder or does the cause of gender dysphoria lie somewhere else? We don’t know what causes it…” (9/5/13 article in USA Today).
The National Center for Transgender Equality admits that, “There are a number of theories about why transgender people exist although there is not yet scientific consensus… There are medical theories about why people are transgender… Some people believe that psychological factors are the reason for the existence of transgender people…. Then there are people who feel that everyone has a right to choose whatever gender presentation feels best to that individual. People should have the freedom to express themselves in whatever way is right for them.” (Understanding Transgender, May 2009)
Dr. Paul McHugh, a distinguished service professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins who served as their chief psychiatrist for almost 30 years said in a Wall Street Journal article (6/12/14), that “policy makers and the media are doing no favors either to the public or the transgendered by treating their confusions as a right in need of defending rather than as a mental disorder that deserves understanding, treatment and prevention.”
Despite a clear lack of scientific understanding of transgenderism, groups like the ACLU are trying to force gender ideology upon our schools and society through their typical legal bullying. In an ACLU document called “Schools in Transition, A Guide for Supporting Transgender Students in K-12 Schools,” one of the “Guiding Principles” says this:
“The expression of transgender identity, or any other form of gender expansive behavior, is a healthy, appropriate and typical aspect of human development. A gender-expansive student should never be asked, encouraged or required to affirm a gender identity or to express their gender in a manner that is not consistent with their self-identification or expression. Any such attempts or requests are unethical and will likely cause significant emotional harm. It is irrelevant whether a person’s objection to a student’s identity or expression is based on sincerely held religious beliefs or the belief that the student lacks capacity or ability to assert their gender identity or expression (e.g., due to age, developmental disability or intellectual disability).”
Especially given the lack of scientific understanding of transgenderism, these assertions by the ACLU have little basis in fact and border on madness. And don’t overlook the ACLU’s clear effort to marginalize religious beliefs.
Of course, it must be emphasized that those who struggle with transgenderism, like all human beings, must be treated with dignity and compassion. But it is not compassion to affirm a condition that is contrary to our God-given nature and can, in the words of Dr. McHugh, lead to “grim psychological outcomes.”
In a very sobering address to the Roman Curia (12-21-12), Pope Emeritus Benedict exposed the falsity and danger of gender theory saying “the very notion of being—of what being human really means—is being called into question today under the term ‘gender’ as a new philosophy of sexuality… When the freedom to be creative becomes the freedom to create oneself, then necessarily the Maker himself is denied and ultimately man too is stripped of his dignity as a creature of God, as the image of God at the core of his being.”
“Thanksgiving,” by Gail Gibbons
Holiday House, New York, 2004, 32 pages, Grades 1-3.
Thanksgiving is usually a joyful day for families. It is a time of family gatherings and special activities. Some families play games together, or watch football games and sometimes go pheasant hunting.
Above all, Thanksgiving is a time of wonderful food and conversation. It is really hard to beat roast turkey, dressing, and mashed potatoes and gravy. While many Americans in the northern states eat pumpkin pie for dessert, many in the southern states love the spicy, delicious sweet potato pie. Being a known eclectic, I am more than happy to eat either pie.
But where did this wonderful holiday originate? Well-known author/illustrator Gail Gibbons gives us the history of Thanksgiving throughout the world. The title of this enjoyable story is “Thanksgiving.”
Gibbons starts the book with a historical background of harvest feasts. In the northern hemisphere, these feasts happen in October and November, after all the crops have been brought in. For example, she shows the Chinese harvest feast in which people bake round moon cakes. The reason for this is the famous “harvest moon” which is so beautiful at that time of the year in China. Next, she writes of the Roman and Greek harvest feasts. Going through history, readers are presented with the Jewish festival of Sukkot and feasts from the Middle Ages in England. All the feasts were filled with joy and happiness.
Soon the book begins discussing the entrance of the Pilgrims into North America. Here we see these intrepid souls crossing the violent waves of the Atlantic Ocean to found a new society in Massachusetts. The unfortunate timing of their arrival and their lack of knowledge about New England lead to many of them dying during the first winter.
This tragedy also causes the Pilgrims to make important encounters with Native Americans the next year. The two most famous Native Americans assisting the Pilgrims were Squanto and Massasoit. The invaluable advice helps the Pilgrims raise crops and learn to hunt and fish. These happy events cause the first Thanksgiving. The nearby tribes and the Pilgrims celebrate a marvelous three-day feast. The food is plentiful and both groups have an enjoyable time.
By the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln decides to make the date of Thanksgiving fixed on the calendar. He chooses the last Thursday of November for the date. The current date for Thanksgiving, the fourth Thursday in November, was established by President Franklin Roosevelt in 1939.
Gibbons next describes Thanksgiving symbols and decorations. Several full-page spreads of Thanksgiving dinners fill the book. It will make you long for your Thanksgiving meal. Gibbons
concludes the book by showing how much “giving” goes on during this attractive feast.
What is your favorite part of Thanksgiving? Do you like the main courses or the dessert courses better? Does your family use the term “dressing” or “stuffing?” To find out more about the delightful holiday, go to the library and check out “Thanksgiving” by Gail Gibbons.
This is a fun book. Gibbons’ drawings are simple and filled with zest. Children will be attracted to them (adults will like them as well.) Her descriptions of the food and comradery will make your mouth water and fill your heart with anticipation. I hope you get a chance to read this delightful book with the younger members of your family. After reading the book, I’m ready for the feast. You will be, too! Enjoy!
We priests have the privilege of administering the sacrament of baptism to many people, most of whom are infants. I believe all priests pray that the babies they baptize will respond to the graces given in this most essential sacrament and wonder what they will be or do when they grow up.
On Friday, Oct. 30, at the annual pro-life banquet at the Cornhusker, sponsored by the Nebraska Catholic Conference, Grace Hrnchir, a sophomore at St. Cecilia High School in Hastings won the state pro-life essay contest for the following poem:
Please listen to me, I want you to know,
what those 57 million other mothers didn't know.
You might not see it now, but some day you'll see,
that thing growing inside you is truly a baby.
She's truly a gift, don't let her go,
if you do you'll endure more pain than you've ever known.
She wants to see her mother, not be sent back where she's from,
so please don't do this; just show her your love.
Don't think you'll be enough? Soon you'll see,
That just being her mother is plenty to be.
Don't let them tell you that abortion is the right way,
you'll soon find out the gift that God gave.
Abortion doesn't take long if you choose that way,
for something you will regret for the rest of your days.
Can't afford her? Give her up for adoption,
you know it doesn't cost anything to choose that option.
It will all be worth seeing her face,
trust me it's nothing that you can replace.
God will help you he knows your way,
but please do let this baby stay.
If you need some help, I will give you a hand,
I know you will love this baby even if she wasn't planned.
If you choose to keep your baby, you'll be thankful to see,
those blue little eyes gazing back to thee.
I want you to know that I will pray,
for you and your baby every day.
Know that God will still love you no matter what you choose,
His forgiveness and His mercy will never refuse.
Just know you're not alone, I am still here,
always remember that God will be near.
I beg you not to give her up, don't let her go,
she truly will love you more than you'll ever know..
I was so proud of her when she accepted the award at the podium. When I baptized her as an infant, I had no idea I would witness this. I cannot wait to share this with the ladies at St. Gianna’s! Thank you Grace! I would like to thank her parents, Rob and Patricia, for being great role models!
“In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson”
by Bette Bao Lord, illustrations by Mac Simont
Harper & Row, New York, 1984, 169 pages, grades 4-6.
What would it be like to arrive in the United States from China in 1947? You come from a traditional family that has extended back for generations. Elders make all the decisions for the family and children are expected to be seen and not heard. This is especially true for girl children.
Gulping for air, you arrive in San Francisco and cannot believe everything that is in front of you. Everyone is shouting at the train station and your mother is clutching your hand so that you do not disappear into some American black hole. Trying not to appear terrified, you are carried by the belief that your father is waiting for you and that American life will be fulfilling.
With this swirl of emotions, Bette Bao Lord has written a compelling account of her admittance into American life in this fine novel, “In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson.”
Grandfather Wong is shamed that his youngest son has left China to settle in the United States. America is surely a land of barbarians and not cultured like China. Now a letter has arrived from the son. In the letter he tells his father to send his wife and daughter to the United States. Grudgingly accepting this decision, he decides to name his granddaughter before she leaves for the United States. The only person they have ever heard of in the United States is Shirley Temple, so the old man names the girl Shirley Temple Wong.
After a tumultuous ocean voyage across the Pacific Ocean and a long train ride across the United States, Shirley’s father meets them at the New York train station and takes them to their new home in Brooklyn. Shirley is very surprised to see that the houses do not have pictures of Chinese gods on the front doors. How will these houses be protected?
More confusion ensues. Her teacher at Public School #8 winks at her to make her feel welcome. Thinking that this is what Americans do to show friendship, she does it repeatedly during her first day at school. The problem is that she closes both eyes when she tries to do this. The teacher quickly writes a letter to her parents to have her eyes tested as she appears to have a nervous eye twitch. Everything at school is new. The language is strange, the customs don’t make sense, and Shirley feels desperate and alone.
One day she sees the children playing stickball. She is invited to play this urban version of baseball. Quickly, she catches baseball fever. That summer the Brooklyn Dodgers are playing in the National League pennant race. Each night Shirley eagerly listens on the radio to the game. Through the Brooklyn Dodgers and especially Jackie Robinson, she finds acceptance. How does this happen?
This book is simply marvelous. Bette Wong’s work of fiction is actually based on her own integration into American society. In scene after scene, readers are treated to hysterical accounts of cultural mishaps. Throughout Shirley’s American miscues, we see the best sides of American culture and the impact that baseball has on all the citizens of New York.
As well, readers understand why Shirley decides to value her new culture and her Chinese heritage. This is a well-written, funny story that will keep you wanting to see what happens next.
Please check out this title, it is a delightful read. Enjoy!
On Sunday Nov. 1, the Universal Church celebrated All Saints Day, which can be traced back to the fourth century. Imagine the countless numbers of saints who are unknown to us by name. St. John the Evangelist says it best after his vision of heaven, “I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb’”(Rev. 7:9-10). How about St. Mary Lou Kubat, who as an infant died immediately after her baptism?
Then on Nov. 2, we celebrated All Souls Day, in which we pray in a special way for all of the souls in Purgatory. It is a day in which we priests have permission to offer three Masses - one of which is for the faithfully departed.
As a preparation for these holy days, Sister Bernadette Radek, Sister Karen Eden and Sister Carol Hohmeier put on a special dinner at St. Gianna’s, our home for women escaping abortion and domestic violence staffed by the Marian Sisters. Included was special baked chicken cooked to perfection by Nancy Mongeon, one of our volunteers. I have a hunch the recipe is called ‘scarecrow chicken.’ I don’t know why, but while closing my eyes I could envision myself eating at a picnic table in the country while gazing at a scarecrow in a cornfield.
It was a wonderful evening in which the ladies and their children at St. Gianna’s could sit, relax and visit with their neighbors after having said a prayer. I always love to see the children playing together because many of them, due to their wounded state, are so very guarded when they first arrive. It takes time for them to ‘settle in.’
During community dinners like this one, I am afforded the opportunity to catch up with some of the ladies. They commonly tear up as they express their appreciation for having a safe place to live with their children.
As we get closer to our annual celebration of Thanksgiving, I am most thankful to Almighty God for His graces and to our many supporters and volunteers that help make St. Gianna’s a home.
Please be assured of our prayers for you, your families and intentions.
October is the month designated by the Catholic Church as Respect Life Month. Perhaps providentially, October is also Down syndrome Awareness Month.
This year’s Respect Life Month program includes an article entitled “A Perfect Gift” written by a mother of a child with Down syndrome. She says, “Many parents want perfect children. Our culture is obsessed with perfection—a superficial perfection. Photos are airbrushed, and social media sites depict seemingly perfect lives. God calls us to seek perfection, too. He does not call us, however, to perfection of appearance or abilities, but to perfection in love.
“Christians know what perfect love looks like,” she continues, “Jesus offering himself on the Cross. Love in a family where one member has a serious disability may look unappealing from the outside. Indeed, love in any family is messy; there are faces to wipe and sacrifices to make. It’s natural to fear that such sacrifices will require too much. But this is where the deep mystery of sacrificial love becomes apparent.
“In our family we have found that our hearts, rather than being weighed down, have become larger. Caring for Charlie has given us more patience, more compassion, and more love for others—especially those on the outskirts of society, whom Pope Francis so often calls us to care for.”
Two years ago, Austin Ruse, president of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute (C-FAM), sent out an email during October offering some of the most powerful thoughts I’ve read on the beautiful and unique contributions of persons with Down syndrome.
“The devil wants [children with Down syndrome] dead,” he said. “Why would the devil want them dead? Because they are messengers sent from God to teach us about love. First, they are joyful people. Sure they have bad days like all of us. But for the most part, they are happy and joyful people and so loving it would knock your socks off. They love unconditionally. The devil really hates that. He hates that the most.
“Second, they teach us how to love. It is a hard thing to think about raising and caring for a person with Down syndrome. It is a lifetime of work and frankly it scares those faced with such a task. But, what parents and siblings of such children tell you, it is an amazing experience. It brings you out of yourself. They teach you the joys of sacrifice. And the devil hates that. He hates it when people learn to sacrifice for others. The devil hates it when we place ourselves second or third or fourth.”
Ruse also referenced a paragraph from a novel called “The Clowns of God” by author Morris West. In the book, Jesus sits down with a child who has Down syndrome and says this,
“What better sign could I give you than to make this little one whole and new? I could do it; but I will not. I gave this mite a gift I denied all of you -- eternal innocence. She will never offend me, as all of you have done. She will never pervert or destroy the works of my Father’s hands. She is necessary to you. She will evoke the kindness that will keep you human. She will remind you every day that I AM WHO I AM.”
“So this is why the devil wants them dead,” Ruse asserts. “This is why up to 90% of unborn children diagnosed with Down syndrome are killed by the abortionist’s knife. The devil wants that. He likes that.”
This Friday, the Bishops’ Pro Life banquet is celebrating the life and work of Dr. Jerome Lejeune, the French geneticist who discovered the genetic cause of Down syndrome. Recognizing that this discovery may lead to the aborting of these children, Lejeune dedicated his life to helping the world understand the dignity, beauty, and rights of every human life— especially those with Down syndrome—from the moment of their existence at conception.
A cause for Dr. Lejeune’s canonization was opened in 2007. May his example and, God-willing, eventual canonization help our world to appreciate and protect the sacred dignity of every human life.
“The Red Umbrella” by Christina Diaz Gonzalez.
Alfred Knopf, New York, 2010, 284 pages, grades 6-9.
Cuba is a beautiful, tropical island 90 miles south of Miami. It has suffered and continues to suffer from brutal leaders. In spite of recent attempts to resurrect the image of Fidel Castro, the Cuban leader remains nothing other than a murderous, lying hypocrite. When he overthrew the corrupt government of Fulgencio Batista in the late 1950s, hope for Cuba’s destiny rose. But since Castro is a Marxist, he soon began arresting, imprisoning and murdering “enemies of the state.” The fact that most of these people had done nothing other than question his decisions is irrelevant. As George Orwell said: “All the animals are equal, but some of the animals are more equal.”
After a number of Cuban children begin to be shipped over to Russia and other Communist countries to help “educate them,” some traditional Cuban families made one of the most painful decisions they ever faced. To save their children from Castro’s godless clutches, they would send the children to Miami, hoping to save their lives from the descending evil in Cuba. Thus Project Pedro Pan (Project Peter Pan in English) was born. With the utmost anguish of heart, these parents put their children on airplanes flying to Florida, with the hope that their relatives in Miami and the agencies of the Catholic Church could protect them. Christian Diaz Gonzalez tells this painful story in her poignantly written, beautiful novel entitled “The Red Umbrella.”
Lucia Alvarez is waiting for her upcoming 15th birthday, so that she can be presented in public. This happy ceremony is known as “the quinceanera” and is eagerly awaited for by most Cuban girls. As Lucia thinks about the dress she will wear at the party, the Cuban Revolution sweeps into her hometown and people begin to be arrested. Lucia has no interest in politics and dreams of the boys coming to her quinceanera and dancing with her.
These happy thoughts are violently interrupted when her father’s bank comes under suspicion for not supporting the revolution. Soldiers and secret police follow her father everywhere, trying to find something to incriminate him. Her uncle begins betraying his brother to gain the favor of the revolutionary leaders. Soon Lucia sees people hanging in the public square, executed for crimes against the state. Her father knows it is only a matter of time before he is falsely accused.
The Communist leaders are sending young people into the country to allegedly teach reading to the peasants. While they might have done that as well, the real reason is to break the children’s familial ties and to brainwash them about the wonders of Castro’s Cuba. Once this evil goal is accomplished, the children will begin looking to the state for leadership and not to their parents.
Mr. and Mrs. Alvarez know that the Communists want to ruin their family and so make an excruciating decision. They must send their children to Miami while they remain in Cuba. The parents learn of the Pedro Pan flights from Cuba. They take their most prized loves, their 14-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son and put them on a plane to the USA. They trust in God’s love and the support of the Catholic Church in Miami to save their children. What happens?
Christina Gonzalez has written a gripping, painful, beautiful story of the Peter Pan children. Many Peter Pan children came to Lincoln in the early 1960s and were assisted by the Catholic Church. In this story, the Alvarez children are sent to a loving family in Grand Island.
The novel shows the brutality and evil in the Cuban Revolution and the resilient love of a Cuban family. As well, Gonzalez writes of the kindness the people of Grand Island gave to the Alvarez family. I think this title is a must-read for junior high school students and I hope you take the chance to read this outstanding book as well. The story of the Peter Pan children is important in both American and Cuban history.
Recently during a trip to our St. John Vianney Center in Hastings, Curt Krueger and I had the privilege of meeting with our wonderful staff. After this, I visited our St. Joseph Gift & Thrift Store and talked to some of our awesome volunteers. The store looked great, with a nice variety of furniture and other items displayed. As many of our benefactors know, the material items donated are either given away or sold, and the profits used to fund our many programs.
Afterward, I went behind the front desk in the lobby to chat with Jill McMahon, our volunteer coordinator. When she needed to step away, I told her, “Don’t worry; I’ll cover the front desk until you get back!”
After taking a seat I noticed many people coming in for a sack lunch. This is one of our many success stories. In Hastings, this is a cooperative effort of many agencies and denominations that work together to make these meals. They are then kept frozen in our walk-in freezer and given away. Last year we distributed almost 48,000 of these ready-made meals! Because of this success, we now have a sack lunch program in Lincoln.
After a moment or two, I noticed an elderly couple who not only took two sack lunches but a container of delectable cinnamon rolls. After saying hello, the wife said, “Thank you so much, because without these lunches, we would not be eating today!”
After saying “You’re welcome!” and some small talk I asked, “Want to see something beautiful?” After saying yes, I then took them into our beautiful Chapel of Our Mother of Perpetual Help.
After genuflecting, the wife exclaimed, “I had no idea you had this here!” Her husband bowed because of some creaky joints and ligaments. It was then that we paused for a prayer.
After promising them my prayers, they left very grateful with moist eyes, not only for the food, but most especially for the food that endures to eternal life, the Most Blessed Sacrament (Jn 6:47-59).
As mentioned in a previous Seedlings column, we are planning two more chapels under the umbrella of Catholic Social Services. One will be dedicated to St. John Paul II and the other to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. This is important to us for we are not only in the business of assisting individuals and families with their bodily and psychological needs, but we are committed to helping them spiritually, by helping them save their souls.
Please never forget that we also pray for all of our supporters, in our daily prayers and Masses! Saints John Paul II and Margaret Mary Alacoque, pray for us!!
“Leontyne Price: Voice of a Century”
by Carole Boston Weatherford, illustrated by Raul Colon.
Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 2014, 32 pages, Grades 2-4.
Many people have to overcome obstacles in their lives. Sometimes these problems result from poor decisions, and at other times, events can happen to block the way.
But people can be injured through racial attitudes, as well. This is a particularly vicious type of problem because it judges people on their physical traits rather than their individuality.
While the racial history of the United States leaves much to be desired, the country has also shown an ability to transcend race. Sometimes, for this to happen, a specially gifted person must open the eyes of the nation. In sports, these people were Jesse Owens and Jackie Robinson. In the fine arts, two talented black women, Marian Anderson and Leontyne Price paved the way to change. Carole Boston Weatherford tells the unusual story of Leontyne Price. The title of this fine picture book is “Leontyne Price: Voice of a Century.”
In the state of Mississippi, a section of land close to the Mississippi River is named “The Delta.” It is in the heart of the Cotton Belt and has long known poverty and a lack of opportunities. But many poor families, both black and white, have found a richness in their family unit.
Leontyne is born in 1927 into a caring family that made certain the children always had the necessities of life. Her parents nurtured her self-esteem and taught that black people could rise above the brutal racial hatred of the time.
Leontyne listens to the radio and hears opera for the first time. She cannot believe how beautiful the music sounds, and the emotions it conveys. She is also thrilled to learn that a black singer named Marian Anderson has broken through the color barrier for opera. It is quickly apparent to everyone that young Leontyne has a special and brilliant talent for singing.
After singing in church choirs for years, Miss Price graduates from high school and enrolls in Wilberforce College in Ohio. There her beautiful voice is recognized and she eventually is trained at the prestigious Julliard School of Music in New York. Her first great musical success came in the Broadway musical “Porgy and Bess.” But her talent became so obvious that she was chosen to sing in an opera. What happened?
Does Leontyne Price become a famous opera singer? What kind of voice is required to be an opera singer?
Can you sing an octave above Middle C? How does personality play into great singing? And finally, how does Leontyne Price show the entire nation why racism is so limiting and stupid?
To find out the answers to these questions, go to the library and check out “Leontyne Price: Voice of a Century” by Carole Boston Weatherford.
The story of Leontyne Price demonstrates why people need to persevere. Many times in her life, she could just have thrown up her hands and given up. But she continued to strive for great things. Her victory was hard earned and well deserved.
The illustrations show her as a young girl aspiring to greatness. It is a beautiful book. I hope you get the chance to share her marvelous story with your family. I was impressed with the book and her life story. I think you will be as well. Enjoy!
On a beautiful autumn afternoon, I received a phone call from a man I have known for years. I was expecting the call but did not know exactly what day or time it would come.
“Father, can you pick me up? I was just released!” Released from prison, that is.
This is a man who spent a handful of years in prison, and after being assigned to work release, having worked perhaps four to six months in order to save up money for a security deposit and first month’s rent, was paroled.
As I pulled up, I noticed he had a garbage sack of clothes, and one small box of personal belongings which included his Catholic bible, rosary and prayer books. In other words, at his feet were all of his earthly possessions.
His smile was infectious. As we drove away, I could not help but notice he was looking at the beautiful colors of the leaves that were changing colors and the horses along the side of the road.
Knowing that if CSS did not intervene, he would be eating and sleeping on the floor of his newly-rented apartment, I made several phone calls to my wonderful staff. Later that afternoon, the basics were delivered to his apartment: a bed, table and chairs, living room furniture, kitchenware, towels, and other essentials. His concerns were few: finding out where the nearest Catholic Church was (with the schedule of Masses and confessions), and the bus route and schedule in order to make it to work every day.
I am grateful to Almighty God that this man has responded to His grace, and that the Catholic faith is what is most important in his life.
I am also thankful that God has inspired our many benefactors to donate the above-stated items that have helped make his new apartment a home. Before leaving that day, I blessed his new abode.
On Friday and Saturday, Oct. 9 and 10, Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska conducted one of its bi-annual furniture and appliance drives. I am most grateful for the many items that were donated, but must admit it was the lightest drive I can remember.
Please say a prayer for this man as he begins a new and important chapter in his life, that he remains strong in the faith because real freedom is freedom from sin and death. Please consider helping us spiritually with your prayers and penances, materially with items around your home and farm not needed, and financially according to your means so we can continue to help the many individuals that come to us.
Please remember that you and your family will remain in our prayers!
“Absolutely Lucy,” by Ilene Cooper
Stepping Stone Book, Random House, New York, 2000, 74 pages, Grades 3-4.
Sometimes people just do not know how to make friends. This may not be because they wouldn’t be a good friend or do not have likeable qualities.
Sometimes new settings make people want to withdraw. Occasionally, they are simply shy. The trouble with shyness is that it is a self-fulfilling prophecy. Shy people often have few friends and lack the confidence to introduce themselves. As a result, they do not make friends easily and are often alone. The only way to get over this problem is to go out to other people. In other words, shy people must act with courage to master this problem.
Ilene Cooper has written a delightful series of books known as “The Absolutely Lucy Books.” This is the first book in the series and we find Bobby Quinn struggling with shyness at his 8th birthday party.
Bobby Quinn has never been outgoing and has a difficult time meeting people and making friends. His parents know he has this problem, but have not figured out a way to help him overcome the difficulty. They repeatedly ask him to meet other children, but he just wants to stay in his room and read.
At his 8th birthday party, Mr. and Mrs. Quinn invite a number of family members to the celebration. His cousins give Bobby a dinosaur book which makes the boy happy. Now he can go to his room and read without being interrupted.
His parents tell Bobby that he has to shut his eyes to get his final present. He closes them tightly and opens them when his dad says to look. Much to his surprise, a small beagle puppy is handed to him. The puppy wiggles and squirms in his arms and it is fairly obvious that Bobby is going to have his hands full taking care of this cute puppy.
Bobby waits several days to name the puppy. His mother and father give him several possibilities but none of them seem right. After looking at her lovable face, Bobby decides to name her Lucy. Happy with his selection, he finds Lucy’s leash and takes her for a walk. Just walking Lucy makes Bobby happy and more confident. Now he has a real friend that is totally faithful.
However, Lucy needs training and when Bobby takes Lucy to obedience school he meets another child with a dog. To make matters more embarrassing for him, it is a girl. How do you talk to a girl? Lucy doesn’t have any problems wanting to get to know the other dog, and she tugs on the leash and pulls Bobby over to the girl and her dog. She turns to speak to him as he blushes from embarrassment. She breaks the ice: “Hi, my name is Candy.” It is now or never, Bobby either talks with the girl or runs home and hides.
What does Bobby do? Does he talk with Candy? Is he able to overcome his shyness and begin to make friends? Why is this so helpful to Bobby? Have you ever felt hesitant about meeting new people? Why is it so important to learn this valuable skill? What does Bobby finally learn? To find out go to the library and check out this delightful early reader, “Absolutely Lucy” by Ilene Cooper.
There are a number of books in this series. The stories are pleasant and uplifting and will help young children overcome their fears. I hope you get a chance to encourage the young children in your family to read the “Absolutely Lucy Book Series.” They are delightful and sensitive. Enjoy!
At this time each year, as the leaves begin to turn color, we turn our attention to our annual Bishop Flavin Sporting Clay Tournament. It is hard to believe that this will be our eighth annual event. It will be held Saturday, Oct. 24 at the Oak Creek Sporting Club near Brainard.
There is still room for teams to sign up. If you do not have a team, we will hook you up with others to form a team. For those who do not know what sporting clays are, I like to describe it as ‘golf with a shotgun.’ When walking from station to station, the clay targets fly in from multiple directions which makes it all the more fun.
Registration, shooting and games start at 9 a.m. with lunch at 1 p.m. The last team will begin at 2 p.m. This means teams will begin shooting at different times from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. In other words, each team will receive a ‘tee time.’ Teams will start at 10-minute intervals. Shooters are asked to arrive 30 minutes before their ‘tee time.’
The individual registration fee is $125. This includes a buffet meal, 100 sporting clays, shotgun shells and one free ticket to be used for one of the shooting games or for use in one of the raffles. Shooters are asked to wear glasses and ear plugs. As in previous years, there will be prizes, including a beautiful new Remington model 1100 12-gauge automatic shotgun, Cabela gift cards, and more!
As in the past, all the proceeds will be used to help needy individuals and families. Please visit www.cssisus.org to find the registration form and for more information (including sponsorship opportunities).
In addition to praying for the success of this year’s event, please pray for the happy repose of the late Bishop Glennon Flavin who was an outdoor enthusiast. For those who are planning to participate, I not only promise that you will have a great time, you will have a ‘blast!’
For those who are unable to participate, please pray for the success of this event. Please always remember that you remain in our prayers. May the soul of our late beloved Bishop Flavin rest in peace, Amen! Bishop Flavin, pray for us!
“No one, after lighting a lamp, puts it away in a cellar nor under a basket, but on the lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light.” (Luke 11:33)
This excerpt from the Gospel that was read at Mass recently provides a challenging point of reflection for each of us. What do we do with the blessings—talents, abilities, resources—that God has given to every human being?
First, do we know and appreciate what talents, abilities and resources God has given us? If not, reflecting on this question and identifying and appreciating God’s gifts will help us deepen our relationship with God and live more content lives. Second, do we use God’s gifts to bring His truth, His mercy and His love to those around us?
Our modern culture and its confusion about the nature of the human person, marriage, love and sexuality presents many serious challenges to the faithful Catholic. Proclaiming and defending Catholic teaching on contentious subjects like abortion, contraception, in vitro fertilization, same-sex “marriage,” immoral sex education, among others can be intimidating. This is true whether we’re speaking privately to family, friends, and co-workers, or are speaking at more public settings.
It is easy to understand the temptation to quietly go about our lives and avoid addressing and opposing unjust actions because they are unpleasant and contentious. It takes courage to step out of our comfort zone and stand up for what is right and just and true, especially when it could come at some cost to our relationships, reputation, or our livelihood.
But living and proclaiming the Truth, as embodied in our savior Jesus Christ, without counting the cost, is precisely what Christians are called to do and is what Christians will account for before God. In “The Better Part,” Father John Bartunek provides the following reflection on the Gospel quoted at the beginning of this column:
“When it comes to our Christian beliefs, fear of mockery, disdain, and rejection often make us hesitate when we should speak forth. The possibility of persecution throws us into a panic, just as the storm on the lake threw the Apostles into a panic.
“The solution for our cowardice is the same as the solution Christ gave the Apostles—faith: ‘Where is your faith?’ God has given us more than enough reasons to believe in him and trust in him—now we just have to exercise the little faith we already have, and it will soon grow into a robust, joyful, and fruitful virtue: ‘Anyone who has will be given more.’
“Otherwise, hiding the lamp under a bowl may protect the lamp, but it will snuff out the flame; our timorous efforts to avoid ridicule and persecution will have deprived even our own lives of Christ’s saving light; ‘From anyone who has not, even what he thinks he has will be taken away.’”
The Nebraska Catholic Conference (NCC) works to assist Catholics in speaking out with confidence and love about many of the contentious issues/practices of our time. Through the Catholic Advocacy Network Nebraska (CANN) we provide members with information and tools for easily making your voice heard to policy makers at the state and national level.
Signing up to be a part of CANN is simple and free—just go online to the NCC website www.necatholic.org. We won’t overwhelm members with too many emails and we don’t share your email with any other group.
In the last session of the Nebraska Legislature, the nearly 3400 members of CANN sent thousands of emails to state senators and were very effective in advancing or blocking legislation. If you are not yet a member of CANN, please sign up today and help the Church to be even more effective in proclaiming and defending the Truth in our society.
For those who need more convincing about our obligation as Christians to proclaim the Truth in the arena of public policy, here are convincing words from Pope Francis:
“A good Catholic meddles in politics, offering the best of himself—so that those who govern can govern…None of us can say, ‘I have nothing to do with this, they govern…’ No, no, I am responsible for their governance, and I have to do the best so that they govern well… Politics, according to the Social Doctrine of the Church, is one of the highest forms of charity, because it serves the common good. I cannot wash my hands…We all have to give something!”
“Possum’s Harvest Moon”
by Anne Hunter
Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1996, 32 pages, grades K-2.
Last weekend, a full lunar eclipse took place. These are very rare and quite exciting to see. The moon has always had a certain enchantment. Poets have composed sonnets to it, songs have been sung about its beauty and people have enjoyed the beauty of moonlight. We hear the phrase “harvest moon” during autumn and “blue moon” when there are two full moons in one month.
Anne Hunter has written a charming story of animals in the field getting ready for winter. But the Possum sees greater possibilities for the night and plans a special event. Through Hunter’s soft and gentle drawings we see this all come together in the delightful book, “Possum’s Harvest Moon.”
It is night in the country and all the animals have had a busy day. Everyone is preparing for winter by stockpiling food and working diligently to get ready for the first snows. But as the moon rises over the meadow, Possum is taken by its beauty and decides all of the animals should have a party. He is excited and immediately begins going to his neighbors and inviting them to the celebration. But the mice tell him that they are so busy getting ready for winter that they can’t take any time for merry making.
Disappointed, Possum then asks the crickets to come to revelry. The crickets tell the Possum that they don’t want to leave their warm and snug piles of leaves and go out into the cold night air. Crestfallen, Possum next asks the Old Raccoon to come to the party. But the Old Raccoon growls at the Possum and tells him that he must keep catching fish in the river so that he can become fat enough to survive the winter.
Next, the frogs and the fireflies refuse his invitation to the event. Possum simply can’t believe that all the animals don’t want to celebrate this beautiful moonlit night. So he sits down and puts on his party hat and dejectedly tries to enjoy himself.
But as the moon continues to rise and shower its golden color on the fields, a strange thing begins to happen. All the creatures begin staring at the glowing moon. They remember Possum’s invitation and wonder why they hadn’t accepted it. All of a sudden, there is a scurrying through the bushes. Possum can’t figure out the sudden noise. Then he turns and sees: the night has just gotten much better.
What did Possum see? Did all the animals finally come to the party? Have you ever thought you were too busy to enjoy an event? Were you really that busy? Or did you just miss out on a delightful slice of life? To find out what all the animals learned in the night meadow, go to the library and check out “Possum’s Harvest Moon” by Anne Hunter.
This is a delightful book to read with the younger children in your family. The pictures are comforting and the text is interesting. I particularly liked the facial expression of the animals throughout the story. They are very funny and expressive. So if you want a delightful book to share with a younger member of your family, “Possum’s Harvest Moon” is just the ticket. I liked the story and think you will as well. Enjoy!
During the beginning of the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia, I was privileged to spend some time with Dr. Gianna Emanuela Molla. She lives today because of the selfless love of her mother, St. Gianna Beretta Molla (she and St. John Paul II were the two patron saints of the conference). “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (Jn 15:13).
As a young woman in her 30s, Gianna Beretta (already a physician) traveled to Lourdes, France where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to St. Bernadette, declaring that she is the Immaculate Conception. Only God knows how many miracles have happened since these famous apparitions. It is safe to assume that many never go through the rigorous process to have their miracles validated by their team of investigators.
It was there Gianna went to discern her vocation. She asked Our Lady of Lourdes for her prayers and intercession and that, if her vocation was to the married life, for God to lead her to a holy man. Not long after that providential trip, she met her husband, Pietro.
It is evident from the letters of both Pietro and Gianna, and the testimony of their family and friends, that not only was their Catholic faith the most important element in their lives but it shaped the nature of their engagement and their six years of married life.
During Gianna’s fourth pregnancy, she developed a tumor on her uterus. Her doctor gave her two choices – her life, or the life of her baby. On Holy Saturday, April 21, 1962, she gave birth to Gianna Emanuela. One week later, she entered eternity.
On Wednesday Sept. 23, I accompanied Dr. Gianna Emanuela to the Cathedral of Ss. Peter and Paul in Philadelphia. It was there that many items of her mother, St. Gianna, were on display, including her wedding dress. After Mass, in the sacristy, I was able to see a beautiful vestment which contains an image of her mother when she was in Lourdes, France, made in part from St. Gianna’s wedding dress.
Knowing that I wish to lead a pilgrimage to Italy to visit Magenta, the birthplace of St. Gianna; Milan, the city where she worked and died; Rome; and Lourdes, France, she informed me that when I visit, she will accompany those who make this pilgrimage to Lourdes.
As I left Philadelphia, Dr. Gianna Emanuela assured me of her prayers, and asked me for mine. I am comforted that Gianna Emanuela is praying for us here in Nebraska! Please keep her and her intentions in your prayers. St. John Paul II, pray for us. St. Junípero Serra, pray for us. And St. Gianna, pray for us!
“Leaving Vietnam: The True Story of Tuan Ngo”
by Sarah S. Kilborne, illustrated by Melissa Sweet.
Simon & Shuster Books for Young Readers, New York, 1990, 48 pages, Grades 3-5.
Refugees flee their homelands when war, famine and other horrors envelop their countries. Today we are seeing great amounts of refugees fleeing Syria and several African countries. The civil wars devastating these countries account for refugee flight.
There are many different issues involved in this dilemma. First, of course, are the desperate situations of the refugees. Usually, people don’t willingly leave their place of birth unless something terrible is happening there. Second, where do they go? Third, who is going to take care of the refugees? And finally, do the receiving countries have the material and moral qualities needed to cope with the issue?
Sarah Kilborne has written a poignant account of a father and son escaping from Communist Vietnam. In this biography of Tuan Ngo, we see all of the issues mentioned above. But above all, we see the courage and vulnerability of Tuan and his father.
It is late at night and Tuan Ngo and his father flee their village to leave the brutality of communism in Vietnam. They have some money and join about 30 other people to escape from Vietnam in a boat. After hours of walking in the dark, they arrive at the shore. In front of them is a rickety boat with an old engine. The frightened people climb into the ancient boat and the engine reluctantly starts. As they pull away from the shore, the Communist soldiers begin shooting at them. Luckily, they are not wounded.
After days of being at sea, the engine breaks down and the boat drifts. Unhappily, three boats of pirates capture their boat and rob the refugees of most of their belongings. But the pirates do help them fix the engine and soon the old vessel chugs away.
For days the trip continues. The refugees have little food and water, and some actually start losing their minds. Eventually they are rescued by a German freighter and dropped off at a refugee camp on an island. Since Tuan’s father had fought against the North Vietnamese alongside the Americans during the Vietnamese War, he wants to take his son to the United States. He hopes to save up enough money to pay for his family’s passage to America.
But the island is not even controlled by the American government. He must first pass a series of inspections to be transferred to an American base. Then he must convince the United States government to accept him as a refugee. So he and Tuan sit and wait. Months go by with no news. It is very hard not to give up hope. But finally something wonderful happens. His name is called and he and Tuan are told they will be transferred.
But where do they go? Do they get to the United States? How do they keep up their spirits during these difficult times? How does everything turn out? To discover the answers to these questions, go to the library and check out this fine biography, “Leaving Vietnam: The True Story of Tuan Ngo,” by Sarah Kilborne.
It is important to remember that the Holy Family had to flee from Bethlehem to escape King Herod’s murderous wrath; they were refugees. Like the Ngo family in this story, the Holy Family had done nothing wrong. They were the victims, not the problem. As the world begins facing the massive refugee situations occurring today, let us keep that fact in mind and act with charity.
I hope you get a chance to encourage middle grade students in your family to read this clear and understandable refugee story. It will assist the young students in understanding some of the complex issues involved with refugees.
On this past first-Friday, my father Aloysius Kubat entered eternity, after having received viaticum, absolution, anointing of the sick and the apostolic pardon, a tremendous consolation to me. Throughout my life there was never a question in my mind as to what was most important to my father – his Catholic faith and, most specifically, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass and the daily reception of the Blessed Sacrament.
The day before he passed away, my little sister saw, while at his bedside, what she described as the most beautiful smile she has ever seen. She described it as a look of love, “ten times greater than how he used to look at Mother.” Wondering what he was looking at, she turned and discovered he was gazing at the crucifix that was hanging above him. It was an incredible moment for my sister.
On Monday, September 14, the universal Church celebrated the Triumph of the Cross – the definitive victory of Jesus Christ over Satan, his fellow fallen angels, sin and death. Did not St. Paul put it best when he said, “Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is they sting? …. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory though our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor 15:54-56). Consoling words, these.
Then one day later, we celebrated the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows. There are seven sorrows of Mary that are traditionally listed: the presentation of the child Jesus in the temple (during which Simeon informed Mary that a sword would pierce her Immaculate Heart); the flight into Egypt as she, the child Jesus and her husband Joseph escaped King Herod who wished to kill Jesus; the loss and finding of the child Jesus in the temple; the encounter of Mary and Jesus as He carried His cross to Calvary; the death of Jesus on the cross; when Mary held the dead body of Jesus; and the burial of Jesus.
Since Mary was a faithful Jewish girl and woman, she would have been familiar with the passages in the Old Testament which prefigured and predicted the suffering and death of her son, including what is written in the Psalms and the suffering servant passages in the book of the prophet Isaiah. Imagine the daily sorrow in her Immaculate Heart as she pondered the fate of her Son.
Likewise, ponder the joy as she pondered daily that there would be an Easter Sunday when her Son would rise from the dead, to die no more. This is why my father stared at the crucifix with great love with a smile that cannot be described. May we do the same each and every time we gaze upon the crucifix. “O death, where is thy victory? O death, where is thy sting?”
The name Jerome Lejeune may not be familiar to most Catholics or even to most pro-life activists. So why is the annual Bishops’ Pro-Life Conference featuring a tribute to him at the opening banquet on Friday, October 30?
Professor Lejeune was a world-renowned French geneticist who is considered by some to be the father of modern genetics. In 1958, Lejeune discovered that an extra 21st chromosome is responsible for Down syndrome, or Trisomy 21.
Sometime after this discovery, Lejeune became concerned that this new discovery would lead to the aborting of Down syndrome children. He subsequently dedicated his life to defending the unborn, especially those with Down syndrome, testifying before scientific conferences and lawmakers.
One of his more famous testimonies was in a 1989 Tennessee County Court case in which a divorced couple was litigating over the custody of seven cryogenically frozen embryos. His testimony (available by searching online) laid out with stunning genetic precision the process of human life’s beginning, summarized with these words:
“I would say that life has a very long history, but each of us has a unique beginning, the moment of conception… As soon as the twenty-three chromosomes carried by the sperm encounter the twenty-three chromosomes carried by the ovum, the whole information necessary and sufficient to spell out all the characteristics of the new being is gathered.”
His outspokenness in defending the unborn caused him to be ostracized in the scientific community and may have cost him a Nobel Prize. But it got the attention of Pope St. John Paul II who appointed Lejeune as the first President of the Pontifical Academy for Life. Dr. Lejeune died a short time later in 1994. A cause for his canonization was opened in 2007.
Aude Dugast, postulator of the cause, told Catholic News Agency (March 18 2014) that Lejeune’s life and work is a witness for doctors and researchers, and shows there “is no contradiction between the deeds of doctors and the deeds of Catholics.” Many of those involved in science and research “put their faith on one side, and their jobs on the other, and the two don’t go together.” But Lejeune showed that “faith and reason are not opposed, but complementary,” Dugast said.
The tribute to Dr. Lejeune will be given by Dr. Pilar Calva who was an under-study to Dr. Lejeune. Since 1984, Dr. Calva has been a professor of genetics, bioethics and medical ethics at Universidad Anahuac Medical School in Mexico. She was a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life for ten years from 2002-2012.
“When I arrived in France,” Dr. Calva says in her bio, “I lived a life divided between faith and reason. I thought that from Monday to Saturday, I put on my white coat for my scientific tasks, and Sunday was the day I took off the white coat, put on my crucifix and dedicated myself to my religious duties. Professor Lejeune truly converted me, making me see that one can wear the white coat and the cross, at the same time. That is, one can fly with the wing of faith and the wing of reason.”
In addition to Dr. Calva’s tribute, an inspiring new video about the life of Dr. Lejeune will be shown at the banquet.
The Pro Life Conference continues on Saturday, October 31 with the following timely topics and outstanding speakers: “Is Doctor-Prescribed Suicide Gaining Momentum?” by Rita Marker; “The Death Penalty and Catholic Teaching” by Omar Gutierrez; “The Miraculous Process of Human Life’s Beginning” by Dr. Pilar Calva; “Marriage: What the Court Said, What Catholics Should Say” by Sheri Rickert and William May; and “Take Courage, I Have Overcome the World” by Father Hugh Cleary.
This conference is a great opportunity to join with our Bishops and hundreds of other pro-life individuals in celebrating the dignity of human life. It is an opportunity for learning, inspiration and rejuvenation for our pro-life efforts moving forward. More information and registration is available online at www.necatholic.org.
“My Battle Against Hitler: Faith, Truth, and Defiance in the Shadow of the Third Reich,”
by Dietrich Von Hildebrand.
Image Books, New York, 2014, 335 pages, Grades 11 and higher.
Patriotism is the authentic love of one’s nation. This lies in the nation’s soul and is a spiritual space that gives all the members of the nation a sense of identity. It is wholly positive as a result.
Nationalism is radically different than patriotism, in that it measures a nation’s greatness in how much land and power it can attain. So whereas patriotism relies on charity, nationalism is based on selfishness. When a government abandons patriotism and practices nationalism, disastrous consequences result.
In this magnificent autobiography, the famous German philosopher, Dietrich von Hildebrand, tells what happened to Germany when it fell sway to the murderous nationalism of the Third Reich. It is an account filled with courage and determination as von Hildebrand fights the grave evils of the Nazis until the final days when he must flee Austria to avoid assassination.
As a young scholar living in Bavaria, von Hildebrand has a bright future. Having been born into an intellectually vibrant, financially well-heeled family, von Hildebrand converts to the Catholic faith. His deep love and dedication to Christ forms his study of philosophy.
So philosophy does not exist in a vacuum for von Hildebrand, but is a means to discover truth. Of course since Jesus Christ is the totality of truth, philosophy becomes a way for von Hildebrand to know and love the Lord. This becomes his highest good, which is well placed as Christ has told us: “I am the way, the truth and the life.” (John 14:6)
This beautiful understanding soon encounters the malignant evil of National Socialism. Shortly after Hitler takes over Germany in 1932/33, von Hildebrand must flee Germany or face possible assassination by the Nazi party. He flees to Austria and begins writing a journal entitled Der Christliche Standestaat (The Christian Corporate State).
The journal has the approval of Austrian Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss. The reason for the support is that von Hildebrand is publishing numerous articles attacking the idolatrous ideology of the Third Reich, and Dollfuss is determined to keep Austria independent of Nazi Germany. With one-minded determination, von Hildebrand exposes the evils of Nazism.
Curiously enough, he is opposed by politicians and churchmen unable to see the evil that is about to descend on Austria. Throughout this autobiography, readers will encounter a veritable Who’s Who of intellectuals, politicians and church leaders fighting against the Nazis and a troubling list of other intellectuals, politicians and church leaders sometimes supporting the Third Reich.
The book moves to the brutal conclusion with the Nazi assassination of Chancellor Dollfuss, the 1938 Anschluss (the political union of Austria and Germany) and the forced resignation of the last Austrian Chancellor, Kurt Schuschnigg. With all political support suppressed, the Nazis move in on von Hildebrand. The book ends in von Hildebrand’s frantic night flight with his beloved wife, Margaret, from the forces of evil.
This is a powerful autobiography of a faithful Catholic scholar combining his intellectual genius and dedicated religious beliefs to oppose grave sin. Von Hildebrand is unsparing in his accounts of Catholic scholars and clergy supporting or turning a blind eye towards National Socialism. As well, he tells the heroic stories of those who gave their lives and honor to oppose the Nazis. Two prime examples being Chancellor Dollfuss, who was assassinated by the Nazis and Chancellor Schuschnigg who was incarcerated during World War II in Sachsenhausen and Dachau concentration camps.
This book is an excellent text for advanced high school students desiring to understand political events of the late 1930s. As well, von Hildebrand’s memoirs recount that martyrdoms did not just happen in Roman times. This highly readable autobiography is highly recommended.
Recently, a concerned priest called about a woman with a small child in desperate need. Because of physical and mental disabilities, she is unable to hold a job.
I was happy to learn she is receiving counseling. Thank God for our charity grant program! In addition, she is seeking medical attention after having been involved in a serious automobile accident. All of these things are keeping her from working – at least for now.
Because of her disabilities, she is living solely on disability payments and because – in part from the absence of good advice – she was ‘in the red.’ Our experience is that individuals such as this have never had any budgetary advice. It was at this point she approached the priest mentioned above. After hearing her story, he called me.
After a brief conversation, the pastor in question was able to glean the necessary financial information for us to recommend she sell her car because of the high monthly payment. We were amazed that someone approved her loan in the first place. We discovered if she sold her car she would be ‘in the black.’ After informing her priest, we prayed for more donated vehicles. Within several months, the point was moot, as the bank repossessed her vehicle, for her inability to make her payments. For her, this turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
I am happy to say that because of the generosity of our donors, we will be giving a donated vehicle to this woman so she can get to her and her child’s doctor appointments. Of course, the overall goal is to help her heal from the physical and emotional difficulties and to eventually gain stable employment.
I would like to thank our generous benefactors who donate vehicles to us and to an anonymous donor who donated some money so we can fix some of the donated vehicles that are in need of repairs. Because of this wonderful donation, we will be able to give more cars away for we were never in the position to fix every vehicle donated to us in need of repairs.
Please keep our St. Christopher Car Donation program in your prayers and if you are getting near to purchasing a vehicle or are downsizing, please prayerfully consider donating it to Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska. Remember that your donation is tax deductible!
Please never forget that you, your family and intentions are in our prayers. St. Christopher, pray for us and for this important program!
“Manners,” by Aliki
1990, reprinted by Scholastic Press, New York, 32 pages, Grades 2-4.
At one time in the United States, men would never have thought of eating a meal without removing their hat. Many men today seem to have no clue that they would have formerly been considered rude for this behavior.
Common courtesies seem to be in decline as well. Why is this happening? If manners are an important part of the social fabric of a community, how can they be reintroduced? Aliki, a famous Greek-American author, has written a fine book on this very topic. Written for children, in this picture book she presents numerous examples of bad behavior and good behavior in social situations. Appropriately, she has named it, “Manners.”
The book begins with children making comments about an activity and other children responding. A young girl shows a boy a sailboat that she has constructed. Instead of saying something positive about her effort, the boy rudely tells her that the boat will never sail. Another boy tells the girl that the boat must have taken a great deal of time to build. This uplifting comment is then quickly counteracted by another child telling the girl that he has built a better sailboat. So in four simple pictures, readers see supportive comments as well as hurtful and selfish statements.
This is followed by another four-set picture frame of an accident. A child has fallen over backwards and is frightened and possibly hurt. A boy turns and tells the child to get up and stop crying. A girl then blames the child for the accident by telling her if she had sat on the chair properly in the first place, there would have been no accident. The final boy in the story rushes to the side of the injured child and offers assistance.
Aliki then begins to explain what manners are and why they are so necessary. She states that good manners help build friendships and help you get along with people. Manners are the actions that people take when they encounter any situation. When people respond with actions filled with charity and kindness their relationships with others improve. Good manners allow you to be thoughtful and polite with people. People with good manners are usually liked by others. The reason for this is simple, these people are kind and likeable, while people with bad manners tend to be rude and selfish.
Aliki goes through many different lessons on manners in this book. The lesson on “I’m Sorry” is very useful. How many people really know how to tell someone they are sorry for having done something hurtful? The example the author uses happens frequently on school playgrounds. One child runs into a girl while hurrying to catch up with a friend. The injured child cries out in pain and tells the thoughtless boy that he has no manners. At first, he does not want to say he is sorry for knocking the girl over. But the longer he talks with the injured child, the more remorseful he becomes. At the end of the story he says he is sorry and both children feel better. There are many more examples on developing good manners and not hurting the feelings of others throughout the book.
If you would like to introduce the topic of good manners to children, this is an excellent title. Aliki tells the reasons good manners are so important, and how children can develop them.
Aliki Liacouras Brandenberg is the full name of the author, but she has always simply used her first name Aliki as her pen name. I hope you take the chance to check this book out of the library. It is an excellent title to developing good behavior in children.
The reviewer would like to thank Andrew Winter and the entire Winter family for recommending this book. Thanks so much!
Recently, I caught up with a generous donor who was recovering at her home after two surgical orthopedic procedures.
After dialing her number, I asked, “Are you up for a visit?” “You bet!” she answered. After entering her house, I noticed she was getting along quite well, albeit with a walker. Since it involved one of her joints, her range of motion was limited.
After a half an hour of chit-chat, her plumber called. He had installed one of those plastic riser toilet seats with arm rests. It was a Saturday morning. She was very pleasant and respectful to the plumber but insistent that he come ASAP!
“What do you mean you can’t come here till Monday?!?” He tried to explain that over the weekend, he was only making house calls for emergencies.
“But THIS IS AN EMERGENCY, FOR I NEED TO GO TO THE BATHROOM!” Because of her brace, she was unable to bend over to attempt the repair - kind of like a passenger on a jumbo jet attempting a landing with radio instructions from the control tower.
As the conversation ensued, I thought to myself, ‘Maybe I can fix the plastic riser toilet seat…. No way, I am not a plumber…. How complicated can it be? …. If I used to fix human plumbing problems, surely I can fix a plastic porcelain problem!’
As thoughts like this bantered about in my mind I figured, ‘Oh what the heck, the worst that could happen is I break it’ and since she could not use it as it was, I figured I had nothing to lose - especially since the plumber was coming Monday!
Two to three minutes later I entered her living room and said, “Your toilet seat is fixed!”
Being a little skeptical she went in and checked it out. She was so pleased, thankful and happy if it wasn’t for the brace and walker she would have done an Irish jig. After chatting for another half-hour or so, she handed me another check for CSS. I say ‘another’ because she is one of our generous regular donors.
Later, as I drove back from a visit out west, reflecting on the fact that we are going to reach our goal for our Bountiful Harvest Banquet fundraiser, I reflected on our many generous benefactors like the woman mentioned above. While driving, I thanked Almighty God for them all because it is only because of their love for Jesus Christ in the poor and needy are we are able to help the countless individuals and families that we encounter on a daily basis. On the day of their individual judgment, they will hear Jesus say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant …. Come, share your master’s joy” (Mt 25:23).
To all of our benefactors who help us spiritually with prayers and penances, materially with items around home not needed and financially with cash donations, please know that I am most grateful. Please always remember that we at Catholic Social Services will keep you, your family and intentions in our prayers, and if you have any toilet problems, do not hesitate to call me.
I am happy to announce that Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska will be holding its 17th annual “Bountiful Harvest Banquet” in Hastings, Sunday, Sept. 13 at the Hastings City Auditorium.
We will be celebrating what God has allowed us to accomplish over the past year across the south central and western regions of the diocese of Lincoln through the generosity of our many generous donors. The social hour begins at 5 p.m. and the dinner and program at 6 p.m. Like previous years, because it is a ‘school night,’ we promise that we will be wrapped up by 8 p.m.
Last year, because of our many generous benefactors we were able to assist from the Hastings office $778,000 in services to 14,000 individuals and 5,300 families a number of ways including emergency services and grants for counseling for those who are unable to afford counseling services for some reason. There are many stories that could be shared, stories of individuals and families avoiding homelessness and others who have received help exiting homelessness. There are also stories of us assisting women and their children escape abuse and much more.
I am also happy to announce that this year we will be awarding the Caritas Christi Award (the love of Christ) to Larry and Connie Consbruck, whose love for their neighbors through the years has been a reflection of the love of Jesus Christ. Their volunteerism and work in the pro-life field is edifying to us all.
For those who are planning on coming and have not yet sent in their reservations, please do so for you have a few more days. For those who are not able to attend, please pray for us and always remember that we at Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska pray for our supporters, their family members and intentions daily.
To register for Bountiful Harvest, please visit www.cssisus.org or call (402) 463-2112.
Next week, on Sept. 10 at 1 p.m., the Legislature’s Education Committee will hold a public hearing at the State Capitol on an interim study resolution, LR 334, introduced by Sen. Adam Morfeld. LR 334 asks the Committee to examine “the integral link between academic achievement and risky health behaviors,” but its primary focus is on so-called “comprehensive sex education” (CSE) as a means of reducing risky health behaviors.
While interim study resolutions are for the purpose of studying an issue, they often lead to legislation being introduced. Legislative bills proposing to mandate CSE have been introduced in Nebraska’s Legislature in recent years and, thankfully, have not been adopted.
However, efforts to expand and mandate CSE seem to be on the march again. In addition to our Legislature’s interim study, some school districts and the Nebraska Department of Education are also looking at proposals to advocate CSE.
Parents and, indeed, everyone who cares about the health and well-being of our children and society should take notice of these efforts and oppose them for several reasons. First, CSE generally embodies a hedonistic view of sexual activity that sees nothing wrong or harmful with recreational sex outside marriage as long as its concomitant physical risks (i.e. pregnancy and sexually-transmitted diseases) are reduced through use of condoms and contraception.
However, with regard to pregnancy, there is little if any research showing that promotion and provision of contraceptives reduces unintended pregnancy, and contraception provides no protection from STDs. Even condoms do not provide protection from all STDs.
Second, one of the ironies of CSE is its use of the term “comprehensive” when its approach is anything but comprehensive. Human beings are more than physical beings. We are also emotional, spiritual and relational beings. Traditional CSE, however, gives little consideration to the relational, psychological and spiritual consequences of sexual activity outside marriage.
Third, CSE generally gives a minimal, dismissive nod to abstinence while emphasizing and promoting contraception. And many CSE curricula have content that borders on pornography.
Fourth, CSE embodies an approach to human sexuality that both abandons and insults young people by largely dismissing their capacity to control themselves sexually. This approach reduces expectations and sex education to the lowest common denominator rather than inspiring and assisting young people to postpone using this sacred gift until marriage, which is in their best interest physically, emotionally and spiritually.
Fifth, CSE presumes that communicating, directly or indirectly, an expectation or acceptance of out-of-wedlock sexual activity will have no effect on increasing that activity. This is contrary to evidence in other areas of risky behavior.
For example, the Nebraska Risk and Protective Factors Survey [2005] found that “young people are 2-4 times more likely to use alcohol and other drugs if parents show any acceptance of alcohol use.” It is highly improbable that this phenomenon applies to alcohol and drug abuse, but not to sexual activity.
A better approach is to help young people save the sacred gift of sexuality for marriage as God intended. In Familiaris Consortio, the Church explained sexuality as a “means of which man and woman give themselves to one another through the acts which are proper and exclusive to spouses… [it] is by no means something purely biological, but concerns the innermost being of the human person as such. It is realized in a truly human way only if it is an integral part of love by which a man and a woman commit themselves totally to one another until death (FC, #11).
Chastity education does not simply tell students to avoid sexual activity until marriage, it teaches them how and supports them in achieving this goal. It helps them to identify a healthy relationship and to avoid or get out of a dangerous or unhealthy relationship. It helps them to develop skills to make good decisions, to set goals for the future and take realistic steps to reach them. It instructs them on practical ways to avoid inappropriate sexual advances, and why abstinence until marriage is optimal. It helps them grow in virtue.
In Evangelium Vitae, Pope St. John Paul II said that “the trivialization of sexuality is among the principal factors which have led to contempt for new life.” So-called comprehensive/contraceptive sex education trivializes sex and undermines the true meaning of human sexuality. It should be opposed vigorously.
“Hurricane Force: In the Path of America’s Deadliest Storms”
by Joseph B. Treaster
Kingfisher Press, Boston, 2007, 128 pages, grades 6-8.
Ten years ago, a massive hurricane swept over the Mississippi and Louisiana Gulf Coasts, leaving behind a horrifying scene of death and destruction. Named Hurricane Katrina, this savage storm picked up energy over the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The state governments in both Mississippi and Louisiana began making preparations for Katrina’s landfall.
Barely one day ahead of the hurricane coming ashore, Max Mayfield, the director of the National Hurricane Center, called the governor of Louisiana and the mayor of New Orleans. He gave them the frightening news that they needed to evacuate New Orleans, as the storm was likely to directly strike the city.
Joseph Treaster has written a compelling account of the fateful days before, during and after Hurricane Katrina roared through the Gulf Coast. The name of this well researched book is “Hurricane Force: In the Path of America’s Deadliest Storms.”
Treaster begins his story by giving an account of hurricanes throughout history. He then narrates the attempts of the United States government to track and study hurricanes. In the early years of the 20th century, there is very little knowledge of the composition of hurricanes or the direction they might travel. After several tragic hurricanes strike the United States, the National Weather Service forms a branch to study hurricanes and this department became the National Hurricane Center.
Hurricane Katrina develops in the Atlantic Ocean in August 2005. As it moves westward, it picks up force and appears to be a major threat to Florida. Fortunately, Katrina has not yet developed into a crushing storm, and passes over Florida causing serious – but not catastrophic – damage. But in the Gulf of Mexico, the hurricane collides with the warm water of the Gulf and an unusually deep current of warm water. This causes the hurricane to gain more energy when the swirling winds churn up the water. Had the current been cold, it would have lessened the intensity of the storm, but the warmer current now causes Katrina to grow into a monster storm.
Mayfield tracks this beast across the Gulf of Mexico and knows that when it makes landfall Katrina will create a disaster. People up and down the Gulf Coast begin shuttering their houses and businesses. Some evacuate. The National Hurricane Center now predicts that Katrina could hit New Orleans head-on. At this time, Mayfield makes his fateful calls to the political officials in Louisiana. He tells them they need to evacuate New Orleans. Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin then order a mandatory evacuation of the city.
With this order, thousands flee the city. They tend to be people with financial resources. But thousands of others do not leave. They tend to be older, poorer, and less able to afford transportation. On Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina makes landfall and crushes the town of Buras, La. with high winds and a 20-foot tidal wave. It turns north and heads the final 63 miles to New Orleans.
What happens to all the people unable to leave the city? Is the city directly struck by the hurricane? How many other cities on the Gulf Coast are destroyed? Why does heroism and vandalism occur simultaneously during Hurricane Katrina?
What would you do if you were placed in this frightening situation? To find out what people actually did during the hurricane, go to the library and read this outstanding account of hurricanes in general and the powerful and tragic story of Hurricane Katrina in particular. The book is packed with maps, graphs and personal accounts of the people directly involved in saving the lives of thousands of people during Hurricane Katrina. I hope you take the opportunity to check out this fine book. It is well worth it.
“The Kissing Hand,” by Audrey Penn.
Tanglewood Press, Terre Haute, Ind., 1993, 32 pages, grades K-1.
The first day of school is always filled with much emotion. Many students are eager to be back in school with their friends and are looking forward to many new experiences. But other children are frightened to go to school.
This is particularly true for the first day in kindergarten. These very small children are taken by their parents to school for the first time. It is a world that is completely new to them. Having lived their entire lives at home with their families, these children are often terribly afraid of the unknown. Their parents are sometimes as upset as the children, for they must let go of the youngsters as well.
Educators are aware of these sensitive feelings and try to be accommodating. Audrey Penn has written a beautiful book to help parents and children cope with this first day in school. The name of this lovely story is “The Kissing Hand.”
Chester Raccoon lives in his pleasant house on the edge of the woods, with his parents. His mother is preparing him for his first “day” of school. Big tears roll down Chester’s face as his mother tells him that he will be going to school that night (with the other nocturnal animals!). The wise owl is the teacher and Chester will make many new friends and learn about different subjects.
But Chester doesn’t want to leave his comfortable home and venture into an unknown world. He likes the world he has always lived in, and doesn’t want to explore new things. He tells his mother that he wants to stay home and play with his toys and read his familiar books.
Mrs. Raccoon tries to sooth Chester’s feelings and understands that he needs a special gift to give him the strength to go to school. So she begins telling him a story that her mother taught her many years ago.
As Chester wipes away his tears, Mrs. Raccoon begins the tale. She takes Chester’s hand and opens his small fingers. Then she lovingly kisses the center of his palm and tells him that whenever he feels frightened, he can put his kissed hand up to his cheek and feel the love of his mother.
This greatly comforts Chester as he can feel the warmth of his mother’s love each time his hand touches his cheek. With this, he feels that he may be courageous enough to go to school for the first time.
That night as he stands outside of his house, Chester sees all the other animals running toward the school. Now eager to join them, he turns and sees his gracious mother standing there. But before he leaves, he turns and gives his mother a beautiful gesture of love. What is it?
What does Chester do? Why does his generous mother deserve this sign of filial affection? How does his family’s kindness allow Chester to be happy going to school?
Have you ever not wanted to go to school? How did you get over this problem? How does Chester conquer his fears? To find out, go to the library and check out “The Kissing Hand” by Audrey Penn.
This is one of the classic picture books about the pains and joys of the first day of school. The pictures are beautiful and comforting. We see Chester and his mother working through all of his anxieties on this important day. Audrey Penn gives us a wonderful story to comfort both children and parents on the first day of school. I hope you get a chance to read it. It is a lovely book. Enjoy!
We are all familiar with our five senses: sight, smell, hearing, feeling and tasting. On Saturday, June 27, we held our second annual “Summer Eve’s Celebration” at the Whiskey Run Creek Winery in Brownville. It was an evening in which we celebrated the existence of our St. Francis Center, located in Auburn, the hub out of which we serve needy individuals and families who live in southeastern Nebraska.
Since opening in 2000, we have provided, astonishingly, more than $1.5 million of total assistance to individuals and families in the southeastern sector of the diocese of Lincoln.
During that wonderful evening, Steve and Marilyn Woerth purchased my gourmet, multi-course meal which was on the silent auction. This time, like many others in the past, I brought everything with me to prepare at the purchasers’ home.
Steve and Marilyn live on a beautiful acreage near Peru. After arriving I received a tour of the grounds and enjoyed seeing the beautiful trees, flowers, vegetable garden and pond. After the tour, it was time to cook!
Those present were the host couple, Steve and Marilyn Woerth; Rich and Andrea Witt; Eston and Ann Clarke; and Jim and Kathy Florence. The menu included wheat crackers, two types of cheeses and prosciutto ham, and wine. This was followed by an ensalada verde with fresh basil and tomatoes from Steve and Marilyn’s garden. After this came the main course, a chicken and sausage paella, followed by chocolate and honey sundae with a foofoo cookie with raspberry filling on the side.
It was a fun evening in which between the dinner and the tour of the acreage, we exercised our God-given five senses!
I would like to thank Steve and Marilyn (as well as their guests) for purchasing the dinner! I learned that a husband’s recollection on how he met his wife sometimes differs slightly from the perspective of the wife’s, and that Rich is the first person I have met who raises rabbits.
Thanks to all who read this column, and to all of our benefactors who support us in our mission of loving Jesus, who lives in the poor and needy.
“Navigating Early,” by Clare Vanderpool.
Delacorte Press, New York, 2013, 306 pages, Grades 6-8.
Life is filled with events that change our direction in life. Usually, the most painful episodes provide the greatest opportunities to grow. Unfortunately, these same occurrences can sometimes overwhelm people. Death is the ultimate challenge that all people face. This event usually brings pain and suffering, but can also give understanding about the final meaning of life.
In this rending story, we see two boys facing life’s most painful challenges while on an uncertain quest to make sense of their suffering. Newbery Medal winner Clare Vanderpool leads the readers through the myriad of trials the two boys encounter as they seek healing and forgiveness. The name of this moving book is “Navigating Early.”
Jackie Baker is an eighth-grader from Kansas. He loves living on the Great Plains and seeing the majestic sunsets over plains covered with shimmering wheat. But World War II changes his entire world. His father enlists in the Navy and is shipped overseas. Jackie lives with his caring mother until tragedy strikes.
One night, when he is sleeping outside in the cool night air, his mother has a brain hemorrhage. Jackie finds her the next day and is haunted by her death. His father, Captain Baker, enrolls Jackie in an elite boarding school in Maine.
Now stripped of his mother and his home, Jackie feels lost and broken. He soon meets another boy, Early Auden, who is fixated on mathematical formulas. Early, too, has suffered great losses, as his father has recently died of a heart attack.
All the boys go to the boat house for practice in rowing. Jackie has never seen a rowboat before and looks very foolish the first time he rows. But Early sees something in Jackie that he himself is unaware of.
When they go back to the boathouse, Jackie sees a beautiful boat named the Maine. He can’t believe how stunning it is. Jackie asks the other boys about the boat. They tell him it belongs to Fisher Auden, the greatest athlete to ever attend the school. Then Jackie learns that Fisher has been killed in France during a battle.
As his friendship with Early develops, Jackie learns that his friend has his brother’s dog tags and a War Department telegram stating he was killed in action. But Early claims that Fisher is not dead and he can prove it through an arrangement of the mathematical number Pi. This seems crazy to Jackie, but on a free week the boys put the Maine into a river and row into the wilderness. They are going to face their searing sorrows on a quest to find the truth. It will be a harrowing journey.
What happens to the boys? Are they able to make sense about life and death? Who are the people attacking the pair as they venture into the wilderness? How do waterfalls, an 1894 Winchester rifle and decades of guilt and anguish influence their quest? Do the boys ever find peace? To find out the answers to questions, go to the library and read this compelling novel, “Navigating Early” by Clare Vanderpool.
This book is outstanding literature. Readers will have to go on a quest with Early and Jackie to understand this story. It is multi-layered and brilliantly written. While the most important parts of the book are the internal issues faced by the two boys, Vanderpool has also woven an exciting action story into the novel.
Clare Vanderpool won the Newbery Medal for her first novel, “Moon Over Manifest.” The Newbery Medal is the highest award in children’s literature and is usually won by seasoned authors. To win the award with your first novel is simply unheard of.
Allow Vanderpool to lead you into this beautiful story. I find her writing and character development to be masterful and filled with a subdued elegance. I hope you get the chance to read this exquisite novel chronicling the triumph of love over suffering.
On July 14, the Center for Medical Progress released its first of (so far) four horrific undercover videos of high level Planned Parenthood employees discussing the harvesting and sale of body parts from aborted babies. The organization has posted its already-released videos on its website (www.centerformedicalprogress.org) and promises many more similar videos in the coming weeks.
Planned Parenthood operates our nation’s largest chain of abortion centers. In its 2013-14 annual report, Planned Parenthood reported performing 327,653 abortions, roughly one-third of all abortions committed in the United States in one year. In Nebraska, more than 60 percent of abortions take place at Planned Parenthood of the Heartland abortion centers in Lincoln and Omaha.
Over the last several years, undercover videos have revealed Planned Parenthood affiliates covering up sexual abuse of minors, aiding and abetting sex traffickers, facilitating race and sex-based abortions (see: www.liveaction.org). And now, these new videos show that Planned Parenthood affiliates are harvesting and selling aborted baby organs and tissue.
As summarized in a LifeNews.com story, “the first video of undercover footage shows Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s Senior Director of Medical Services, Dr. Deborah Nucatola, describing how Planned Parenthood sells the body parts of aborted unborn children and admitting she uses partial-birth abortions to supply intact body parts.”
Nucatola is recorded saying: “We’ve been very good at getting heart, lung, liver, because we know that, so I’m not gonna crush that part, I’m gonna basically crush below, I’m gonna crush above, and I’m gonna see if I can get it all intact.... And with the calvarium [i.e. head], in general, some people will actually try to change the presentation so that it’s not vertex,” she continues. “So if you do it starting from the breech presentation, there’s dilation that happens as the case goes on, and often, the last step, you can evacuate an intact calvarium at the end.”
“In the second video,” LifeNews.com continues, “Planned Parenthood doctor Maru Gatter discusses the pricing of aborted baby body parts — telling the biotech company officials that the prices for such things as a baby’s liver, head or heart are negotiable.” She also tells the officials that she could talk with the Planned Parenthood abortion practitioners to potentially alter the abortion procedure to kill the baby with a “less crunchy technique” that would best preserve those body parts after the unborn child is killed in the abortion.
The third and fourth videos feature a Planned Parenthood vice president negotiating the sale of aborted babies and attempting to get as much money as possible from the deal. Dr. Savita Ginde is recorded saying, “We’d have to do a little bit of training with the providers or something to make sure that they don’t crush” fetal organs during second-trimester abortions.
These last two videos are most disturbing, as they show Planned Parenthood workers sorting through and identifying body parts from an aborted baby. At one point, a Planned Parenthood medical assistant announces: “Another boy!”
Three U.S. Congressional committees and 10 states are investigating Planned Parenthood’s involvement with the harvesting of body parts from aborted babies, to determine if they are illegally selling them. The sale or purchase of human fetal tissue is a federal felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison or a fine of up to $500,000. Additionally, bills have been introduced in both Houses of Congress to defund Planned Parenthood, which receives $500 million annually in taxpayer funding.
Regardless of the outcome of these investigations and legislative actions, what should be evident to anyone who watches these videos is the cold, callous, inhuman attitude of the Planned Parenthood workers toward unborn human life. This attitude is the inevitable result when human beings are dehumanized and destroyed at will.
Abortion is clearly the sort of evil that will require prayer and fasting to expel from our society. We should pray for the conversions of those who commit or promote abortions. We should also demand of our elected officials deny Planned Parenthood and anyone who commits abortions our tax dollars.
Finally, as Cardinal Sean O’Malley, chair of the U.S. Bishops’ Pro Life Committee said, “If the Planned Parenthood news coverage has caused anyone to experience revived trauma from their own involvement in abortion, be assured that any and all persons will be welcomed with compassion and assistance though the Church’s post-abortion healing ministry, Project Rachel. If you or someone you know would like confidential, nonjudgmental help, please visit www.projectrachel.com.”
Last Saturday, while driving to the office after celebrating Mass at St. Gianna’s, I spotted a man walking on the bike trail as it started to rain.
I immediately recognized him as a homeless man we have been helping get off the streets over the past two weeks. He was given a tent from another man who ‘graduated’ to an apartment after finding a job. We are helping him get his driver’s license, a car, a job, clothes, an apartment and some other essentials.
After making a quick U-turn I pulled alongside him, and greeted him, saying, “Get in!” After recognizing me he said, “Father, you are an answer to my prayers!”
He related that after starting to recite the “Our Father” over and over, he knew God would answer his cry for help as he was getting drenched. He informed me he almost blew away in his tent the night before during the thunderstorm that packed 60-mile-an-hour wind gusts.
After getting buckled up, he showed me an advertisement from the newspaper from a local restaurant with a coupon for a free hamburger for those who are celebrating their birthday. It was his 60th birthday. What a way to celebrate a birthday, I thought.
After arriving at the restaurant, I realized it would not open for another 90 minutes. I kept thinking about the scripture passage from Mathew’s gospel: “As you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.”
I knew I could not leave him there at the front door for an hour and one half in the rain, so I gave him some money and dropped him off at a fast food place a few blocks away. He said, “Father, this is the place you treated me for breakfast the day I met you!” He acted as if he won the lottery. At the time this column is published, he should be behind the wheels of a donated car, and, hopefully, in an efficiency apartment, working at a new job.
On Aug. 14, Catholic Social Services will hold its annual memorial golf tournament and auction. This year we are honoring John Hanigan. Our silent auction features many items, including a beautiful 1992 Cadillac sedan Deville in incredible shape, time at a Grand Cayman condo, a ‘Golf Nebraska’ package, a gourmet multi-course dinner prepared by yours truly - along with one of my sketches, and much more. Like last year, those who are not present may submit bids online by using a computer, tablet, iPad or smartphone. Oh the wonders of technology! The website to see and place bids is qtego.net/qlink/cssgolf.
All proceeds will be used to help needy individuals and families like the man I mentioned above. Please pray for the success of this annual event and never forget you, your family, and your intentions are in our prayers!
“Darling: Mercy Dog of World War I,” by Alison Hart, illustrated by Michael G. Montgomery.
Peachtree Press, Atlanta, 2013, 163 pages, 3-5.
It is an old adage that a dog is man’s best friend. Why is this so, and why are readers so interested in dog stories? The answer seems to be that dogs and people seem to frequently form a bond of affection and friendship. Whereas cats are friendly to people when they desire it, dogs continually want to be around people. This makes them “man’s best friend.”
Alison Hart has written an interesting story about a dog that is drafted into the British Army and serves on the Western Front during World War I. Though the novel is historical fiction, it is based on a canine corps that actually served with the British soldiers during the fiercest battles of the war. The name of this fine book is “Darling: Mercy Dog of World War I.”
Darling lives in a small British village while World War I is raging. Many of the men have already been drafted and the casualty rates are horrendous. The country is on a war regimen with food and fuel rationing. Darling still lives a carefree life of chasing sheep, running away, and playing with the children of her family, Katherine and Robert. All of this begins to change when the father of the family joins the British Army and is sent to the fighting in France.
On one of her escapades, Darling plays a game and hides by a British Army camp. Stray dogs are being shot in England because of the food shortages, so the British soldiers don’t quite know what to do with Darling. One soldier decides that Darling should be drafted into the army and serve in the newly-formed canine corps. With this, Darling is in the army now.
After weeks of training, the dog handlers decide that Darling is best suited to the dangerous task of finding wounded soldiers in No Man’s Land. These dogs are called Mercy Dogs and wear a Red Cross across their shoulders. No Man’s Land is the area between the British and German trenches and can range from a few hundred yards wide to a half a mile. It is filled with barbed wire, land mines and artillery pot holes. Soldiers caught in No Man’s Land are usually killed, but the wounded will often lay there in great suffering.
Since it is so dangerous to raise one’s head over the top of the trench, the British have trained Mercy Dogs to go into No Man’s Land and find the wounded. After finding the wounded, the dogs then run back to the British lines and lead the stretcher bearers back to the wounded soldier. Needless to say, many times the stretcher bearers and the dogs become causalities in No Man’s Land.
After one terrible battle, the English soldiers know that a badly wounded man is lying in No Man’s Land. They can’t get to him. Darling’s dog handler looks at his little dog straining at the leash to go into No Man’s Land and find the wounded soldier. He unsnaps the leash and Darling bolts over the top and through the barbed wire. She is on a mission.
What happens to Darling? Does she find the wounded soldier? How do they get the soldier out of No Man’s Land? Are there more causalities during the relief mission? Why does Darling come back dragging her leg? To find out the answers to these and other questions, go to the library and read this exciting book, “Darling: Mercy Dog of World War I.”
Alison Hart is an outstanding writer of adolescent fiction. This excellent story is one book in a series named “The Dog Chronicles.” I hope you encourage your middle grade students to read this book. I loved it and think they will too. Enjoy!
One of the realities I learned early on in my tenure at the Nebraska Catholic Conference is that politics (and public policy) is downstream from culture. So, when we are confronted with the tragic error of five judges redefining marriage it means there is something terribly wrong in our culture.
When the President of the United States forces Catholic nuns to violate their religious beliefs against contraception or face crippling fines in order to continue serving the poor and elderly, it means there is something terribly wrong in our culture (see: www.becketfund.org).
When Planned Parenthood, which operates our nation’s largest abortion chain, receives $500 million in our tax dollars, even after being caught on tape covering up sexual abuse of minors, aiding and abetting sex traffickers, double-billing taxpayers, and harvesting and selling of aborted baby organs (see: www.liveaction.org) it means there is something terribly wrong in our culture.
The primary common denominator among these three examples is our culture’s misunderstanding and misuse of the God-given gift and meaning of human sexuality and married love, particularly as demonstrated by its embrace of contraception.
“The teaching of the Catholic Church on human sexuality is profound and uplifting,” said Susan Wills. “Married love is meant to mirror the love within the Trinity—to be faithful, selfless, permanent and life-giving.
“But rather than encouraging this kind of love, contraceptives have helped many people to engage in sexual relationships that are unfaithful, selfish, short-term, and altered to be sterile, not life giving. Such uncommitted relationships can not only damage our ability to love as we’re meant to love, but very often lead to other problems—contributing to the 3 million unintended pregnancies, over one million abortions, and 19 million new cases of sexually-transmitted diseases in the United States each year” (see “Contraception: The Fine Print,” Respect Life Program, 2009).
Pope Saint John Paul II said in his encyclical “The Gospel of Life” that the “trivialization of sexuality is among the principal factors which have led to contempt for new life.” So if we want our nation’s politics and policies to respect, rather than degrade and undermine human sexuality, married love, and human life, then each of us must diligently seek to understand, live and proclaim God’s design for these sacred gifts.
To assist Catholics in this endeavor, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) established the week of July 19-25 as Natural Family Planning Awareness Week. This week is scheduled to coincide with the anniversary of the papal encyclical Humanae Vitae (July 25) which articulates God’s plan for human sexuality, married love and responsible parenthood.
The theme of this year’s NFP Awareness Week is “All Natural: Natural Family Planning, Good for the Body, Great for the Soul.” This theme should appeal to a sizeable segment of our society who seek out all-natural, organic food and to otherwise rid their lives of chemicals and artificial substances that can cause health problems.It is ironic that so many in our culture will be inconvenienced by, and spend more, to eat only organic food and then don’t think twice about ingesting artificial hormones (i.e. contraceptives) that can cause serious harm to their health (see: Contraception: The Fine Print)
If you want to positively impact our culture and the political/policy life that flows from it please commit to learning and living the Church’s beautiful and liberating teaching on human sexuality and married love. There are many excellent educational resources available from the Church at www.usccb.org/love-and-sexuality, www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/marriage-and-family/natural-family-planning, and www.onemoresoul.com.
If you are planning to get married or are married and of child-bearing age, commit to learning about natural family planning or fertility awareness. There are multiple methods of NFP which are based on the three basic ways a woman’s body indicates the fertile and infertile times of her cycle: cervical mucus, body temperature, and cervical shape or texture. You can learn more at: Couple to Couple League (www.ccli.org); Billings Ovulation Method (www.familyplanning.net); Creighton Model, www.fertilitycare.org or www.popepaulvi.com); and the Marquette Method (nfp.marquette.edu).
Several years ago, Pat Walbrecht (my administrative assistant, A.K.A. secretary) said, “Father, when you travel the diocese to visit the faithful across the 24,000 square miles of the diocese, why not let me drive so you can write, make phone calls, send text messages, check and send emails? Just think of the work you can get done!”
After giving it some thought, I agreed. It has been a blessing. I must confess, as I type these words, we just passed mile marker 324 and the Giltner exit.
While in Hastings, as we were ready to depart, I realized I had not greeted all of the staff so I asked her to wait for a moment while I went back into the office and thrift store. I said, “Pat, wait for me, I will be right back.”
After 10 to 15 minutes I figured I better hurry along; after 10 more minutes or so, I exited the store onto the street and noticed she was gone. I figured she either was hijacked or left to get gas. Knowing it was not like Pat to leave me stranded without a call or text, I reached in my pocket for my cell phone but alas, it was in the vehicle, too (I later found out she had texted me, but a lot of good that did me). I figured since we were low on gas it was the latter.
I then decided to wait on the sidewalk for her return. In God’s providence, I am glad I was left alone and was waiting on the street. For what seemed like a mini-eternity, I was amazed at the number of people who came in for a sack lunch. They all looked like they needed help. One man, who appeared in his 40s, rode up on a bicycle. After greeting him, he entered our office and after a brief moment he rode merrily away with a ready-made meal. He had the look of someone who was in need of assistance.
It was a reminder to me that we were feeding Jesus, day in and day out. Whether it is help with food, clothing, furniture, appliances, vehicles, rent, utilities, grants for counseling or one of the many other ways we help those who come to us, we do it because Jesus is present in them in a special way (Mt 25:31-46). That is why our donors are so special because without you over 40,000 individuals across the diocese would not be helped by Catholic Social Services in some manner.
Please know that we are most grateful, but also know that your reward will be great in heaven.
I was 8 years old in January 1973 when the U.S. Supreme Court engaged in raw judicial activism to discover a fundamental Constitutional right to abortion, thereby invalidating every state law that protected unborn children from abortion. Because of my age, I don’t have memories of that infamous day.
I will never forget June 26, 2015, when the U.S. Supreme Court again exercised raw judicial activism by interpreting the U.S. Constitution to require all states to license and recognize same-sex “marriage.”
In his well-reasoned dissent, Chief Justice John Roberts said the “majority’s decision is an act of will, not legal judgment. The right it announces has no basis in the Constitution or this Court’s precedent. The majority expressly disclaims judicial ‘caution’ and omits even a pretense of humility, openly relying on its desire to remake society according to its own ‘new insight’ into the ‘nature of injustice.’
“As a result,” the Chief Justice continued, “the Court invalidates the marriage laws of more than half of the States and orders the transformation of a social institution that has formed the basis of human society for millennia.... Just who do we think we are?”
Justice Antonin Scalia expressed grave concern about the ruling’s attack on democracy. “Today’s decree says that my Ruler, and the Ruler of 320 million Americans coast-to-coast, is a majority of the nine lawyers on the Supreme Court. The opinion in these cases is the furthest extension in fact… of the Court’s claimed power to create ‘liberties’ that the Constitution and its Amendments neglect to mention.
“This practice of constitutional revision by an unelected committee of nine,” Scalia continues, “robs the People of the most important liberty they asserted in the Declaration of Independence and won in the Revolution of 1776: the freedom to govern themselves.”
Equally ominous is what this decision may mean for the religious freedom and the conscience rights of those of us who believe that marriage can only be a union of one man and one woman.
“The majority graciously suggests that religious believers may continue to ‘advocate’ and ‘teach’ their views of marriage,” Chief Justice Roberts wrote. “The First Amendment guarantees, however, the freedom to ‘exercise’ religion. Ominously, that is not a word the majority uses… Unfortunately, people of faith can take no comfort in the treatment they receive from the majority today.”
Speaking as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Ky. said, “Mandating marriage redefinition across the country is a tragic error that harms the common good and most vulnerable among us, especially children.”
“Regardless of what a narrow majority of the Supreme Court may declare at this moment in history, the nature of the human person and marriage remains unchanged and unchangeable,” Archbishop Kurtz continued. “Just as Roe v. Wade did not settle the question of abortion over forty years ago, Obergefell v. Hodges does not settle the question of marriage today. Neither decision is rooted in the truth, and as a result, both will eventually fail… It is profoundly immoral and unjust for the government to declare that two people of the same sex can constitute a marriage.”
I highly recommend reading the majority and dissenting opinions in this decision as well as the responses of our bishops, all of which can be accessed at www.necatholic.org.
On the 4th of July, I joined my friends at the Nebraska Family Alliance in a prayer call for marriage, during which I led a prayer for hope. In my prayer I acknowledged the heavy hearts many of us have for our country and for the institution of marriage. I expressed sadness for the many ways in which our world has abused God’s gifts of life and love and sorrow for anything we have done or failed to do to live or proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ.
But I also recalled the words of St. Paul (Romans 5:2-5) who reminds us that through Jesus Christ “we have obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God. More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”
Undoubtedly, many challenges lie ahead to living the Truths of our Catholic faith. But we must be reassured by the faith which we profess in our Lord’s passion, death and resurrection—that act of ultimate victory over sin and death. Our response to this—and every—challenge in our world must be to live and act as resurrection people with joy and confidence in knowing that we operate from Christ’s victory. In good times and in bad, our Lord asks one thing of us: to be faithful and persevere in proclaiming the Good News that is our Lord Jesus Christ.
“Sophia’s War: A Tale of the Revolution,” by Avi.
Beach Lane Books, New York, 2012, 302 pages, grades 5-7.
The story of the founding of the United States is filled with heroism and bravery. At the same time, it is a time of great turbulence, confusion and treason.
Those faithful to the Crown, the Tories or Loyalists, felt it was their duty to oppose the Revolution and serve the King. Those participating in the rebellion, known as the Patriots to the Americans and as the Rebels to the British, believed that the country must be independent. Three characters play preponderant roles in this critical drama. The first is Nathan Hale. Arrested for spying by the British, he is hanged early in the Revolution. The second is Major John Andre. An influential British officer, Andre will be intimately involved with the bribing of General Benedict Arnold and getting him to commit treason. The last person, of course, is General Benedict Arnold, one of the most odious men in American history. Avi writes a compelling novel which combines historical truth and fiction in retelling this gripping saga. The name of this fine book is “Sophia’s War: A Tale of the Revolution.”
In 1776, Sophia Calderwood is a 12-year-old girl in New York City. Her brother has joined General Washington’s Continental Army which has recently suffered several severe defeats. Her father has left New York, trying to find a place of safety for his family. When he attempts to return to the city, he is wounded by British soldiers. He staggers home, and Sophia and Mrs. Calderwood attempt to nurse him to health. But due to his injuries, he is unable to work, and Sophia takes a job as a printer’s apprentice to earn some money for the family. There she meets a mysterious man, Robert Townsend. This diminutive man is actually a spy for the Continental Army and is trying to recruit Sophia into a spy ring.
At the same time, the British force the Calderwoods to house an English officer named John Andre. The young officer is gallant, talented and charming, and Sophia is quickly infatuated with him. But news comes to the family that Sophia’s brother has been taken prisoner and is suffering on a prison ship in New York Harbor. In her head, she knows that she should support the Revolution, but the dashing officer in his beautiful red uniform bewilders her. This soon comes to an end when Andre is transferred and Sophia learns the bitter news that her brother has died of deprivation on the prison ship. With this, she makes her choice and joins Townsend’s spy group.
Sophia is sent to be a maid at the English commander, General Henry Clinton’s house. Major Andre is Clinton’s Chief of Staff. Sophia learns that she must deceive and lie to the English to get vital information for the Revolution. She soon becomes cunning and a master at deception. It is there that she comes across the treasonous plans of Major Andre and General Benedict Arnold to turn over the fort at West Point. But what can a young girl do to thwart the plans of such calculating men? She knows she must do something, and she acts with daring.
What does Sophia do? Is her life ever at risk? What is the cost of freedom? What happens to Major Andre and General Benedict Arnold? To find out, go to the library and read this excellent novel.
Avi is the pen name for Edward Wortis (1937-present). He is an accomplished writer and winner of many awards. This interesting novel about the American Revolution blends history and fiction into a very satisfying tale. The central character, Sophia, is placed repeatedly in situations where she lies to protect secret information vital to the Revolution. It is clear that she doesn’t like to lie and doesn’t feel good about it, but senses she must do so to deceive the British soldiers seeking to uncover the spy ring.
Avi is an outstanding writer and has written an excellent book. I hope you get a chance to encourage 5-7 graders in your family to read this exciting novel. Enjoy!
Recently, a panic-stricken man in crisis called to say, “Father, can you help me?”
It was a man about to enter middle age who lost his job after a lengthy hospitalization. He explained an all-too-familiar chain of events that plague those who are living on the edge: because of his lengthy hospital stay, he lost his job, and with that, his ability to pay rent. Like all of our clients, he lacked an emergency fund and was living paycheck to paycheck. It seems he figured we were his last chance for help.
After having talked a while, I learned that after his discharge from the hospital he was cleared to work without restrictions. It was evident his two immediate needs were making a delinquent rent payment and finding a job.
Minutes after hanging up, I received a call from an employer who informed me he was looking to immediately hire 20 full-time employees with benefits. I cannot begin to tell you how happy this man was after informing him that in addition to being able to help him with rent, there was a full-time job with health insurance available. Having a car, there was no problem commuting.
Although owning a car is not an absolute necessity in finding meaningful employment, having one, in most cases, makes the difference in being successful finding a job while avoiding homelessness. This is true for countless individuals and families. We have found this to be the case for many of our clients.
Being four years into the operation of St. Gianna’s, we can definitively say that in order for the ladies to be successful in finding a job, having a vehicle is vital. Since most of our ladies have children in tow, they are in need of vans.
Just yesterday I helped a homeless man by providing him with breakfast, a trac phone, haircut (from a good friend), sport coat, shirts, slacks and a lead on a job. He, too, is in need of a car. We are praying, pleading for more vehicles, to help keep homeless individuals and families out of homelessness and those that have a home avoid homelessness.
I would like to thank our many patrons who support us spiritually with their prayers and penances, materially with donated items not needed around their homes and farms and financially with cash donations according to their means so we can continue helping the countless individuals and families that come to us in crisis.
Please know that we will continue to keep you, your family and intentions in our prayers and Masses.
The State of Nebraska requires by law that those who commit abortions report certain data to the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) within 15 days from the end of the month in which the abortions are performed. Every spring, DHHS compiles this data and issues a statewide report of abortions.
The 2014 Nebraska Statistical Report on Abortions reveals that 2,270 abortions were reported in Nebraska last year. In 1974, the first full year after Roe v Wade legalized abortion, there were 3,094 abortions reported in Nebraska. That number steadily increased to its high point of 6,346 in 1990.
The good news is that the number of surgical abortions has steadily declined since 1990 in Nebraska and the 2014 total of abortions is about 66 percent lower than the 1990 total. The bad news is that the 2014 total is more than 4 percent higher than the number of abortions in 2013 and is the first year-over-year increase since 2008.
Reviewing Nebraska’s abortion statistics prompted me to check on the national and worldwide numbers and the result is staggering. Since 1973, there have been more than 58 million abortions in the United States. Worldwide, there have been more than 1.3 billion abortions since 1980. These numbers, and their sources, are compiled at www.numberofabortions.com.
Here are the most relevant statistics from the Nebraska report:
Age Distribution. By far, most abortions occurred in the 20-29 age group. Nearly 60 percent of all abortions were done on women in this age group. Women aged 30 years and older comprised 30.7 percent of the abortions. The most positive trend in the age distribution is among teens. In 1974, almost 41 percent of abortions were had by teens. In 2014, the percentage of abortions by teens was down to 10.2 percent.
A particularly sad statistic is that 10 girls under the age of 15 had abortions. Two of those girls were 12 years old, three were 13 years old and five were 14 years old. Another 221 teens (aged 15 to 19) had abortions.
Reasons for the abortions. As is typically the case, only a tiny fraction of the abortions (one-half of one percent or .05%) were done for the so-called “hard cases” of rape, incest and to prevent the death of the mother. Even if you add in those abortions done for the broader reason of a woman’s “health” (1.1%), the “hard cases” still only comprise about 1.6 percent of all abortions done in 2014.
Another revealing statistic is that about one-third (35.7%) of women having abortions reported that “no contraception was used.” This means, presumably, that about two-thirds (64.3 %) were using contraception when they got pregnant.
This statistic raises serious doubts about the claim that contraception will reduce abortions. In fact, even the Alan Guttmacher Institute (research affiliate of Planned Parenthood) acknowledges that women who use contraception are more likely to have abortions.
Guttmacher explains this phenomenon this way: “because women who are using contraception are motivated to prevent an unplanned birth, they are more likely than women who were not using contraceptives to seek an abortion should they accidentally become pregnant.”
Method of abortion. The most notable statistic in this category is that the number of “medication induced” abortions (RU-486) continues to climb. The 2014 number of 960 medication induced abortions is more than four times the number in 2009 and represents 42.3 percent of the abortions committed in 2014.
Repeat abortions. Another very sad statistic is that more than one third (35.7%) of the women obtaining abortions last year in Nebraska had one or more previous abortions. The breakdown of this statistic is incomprehensible: one previous abortion: 564; two previous abortions: 168; three previous abortions: 61; four previous abortions: 8; more than four previous abortions: 9.
The complete report of abortions can be seen online at www.dhhs.ne.gov (search for 2014 Statistical Report of Abortions).
When we contemplate that each abortion represents the killing of a human being and the wounding of his/her mother, father, family and society, this death toll in Nebraska, in the United States and worldwide is incomprehensible. Let us all pray and work for the end to this slaughter of the innocents.
“America: A Patriotic Primer,” by Lynne Cheney, illustrated by Robin Preiss Glasser.
Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers, New York, 2002, 32 pages, grades 3-5.
Patriotism is the dedicated belief and love for one’s country. This is not an unquestioned acceptance of everything a country does, but rather a dedication to the principles upon which the country was built. For example, the United States was founded as a republic with a representative government. James Madison, our fourth president, after a careful study of other governments, helped write the United States Constitution. This magnificent document, with its famous Bill of Rights, has been the cornerstone of the nation since the founding of the Republic. Lynne Cheney, the wife of Vice President Dick Cheney, has written a comprehensive, fact filled alphabet book about the United States. It is most appropriate to read this interesting text as July 4th approaches. The name of this fine book is “America: A Patriotic Primer.”
The book begins with a picture showing the fleet of boats in New York Harbor on the Fourth of July. We see the Statue of Liberty holding her famous torch and the famous words of Emma Lazarus at the base: “I lift my lamp beside the golden door.” The famous Preamble to the Constitution frames the letter C with its moving opening words: “We the people of the United States in order to create a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty of ourselves and our posterity do ordain and establish the Constitution of the United States.” These famous words have defined the United States for over 200 years. The letter D shows the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Mrs. Cheney then continues the alphabet book with famous American concepts such as equality for the letter E and freedom for the letter F. All along are sidebars packed with information that will increase love for the United States. We learn about the sewing of the first American flags and Francis Scott Key writing the national anthem, The Star Spangled Banner. Students are next shown how to properly fold a flag, and how to display the flag. In the letter G, readers are instructed in the importance of religion and the reliance that Americans have always had in God. Cheney points out that freedom of worship sustains our country to this very day.
Famous personages continue to flow as the alphabet continues. We meet Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King, James and Dolley Madison and many others. The inventive genius of the American personality is seen in the letter Q in which musicians, poets, athletes and inventors form our national personality. The letter R has several pictures detailing the Bill of Rights. Without these marvelous rights, freedom would be lost and the United States would cease to be a republic. The book continues the American story to the end of the alphabet. It is overwhelming how much has been accomplished in this country. We see courage and faith, religious belief and dedication, hard work and insight. It is simply edifying.
As the Fourth of July approaches, it is well to consider the many important historical personages and powerful memories that Mrs. Cheney included in this fine book. The United States she describes calls out the best in its citizens. This America is based on courage, dedication to fellow citizens, a love of God and will make you stand up and salute the flag while singing “God bless America.” I hope you get a chance to read this fine book. Have a happy Fourth of July!
Recently, during the recreational time of my yearly priestly retreat at the Good Counsel Retreat Center in Waverly, I had a chance to sit down with Father Ed Stander, one of our retired priests who lives at the Bonacum House in Lincoln. Rather than talk about the Huskers, I asked him to tell me about his parents.
I learned his father lost his eyesight as a young man. He was fixing a tire, it blew up in his face, and he became blinded on the spot. Being engaged to be married at the time, his family tried to discourage the wedding, reasoning he would be a financial burden to his future wife and family. The Standers were not to be discouraged, for although the wedding needed to be delayed for obvious medical reasons, they were eventually married and Msgr. Thomas Kealy witnessed their wedding vows. ‘For better and worse and for sickness and in health until death do you part.’
How would he support his wife and future family? He enrolled at the School for the Blind in Shenandoah, Iowa. After graduating he started his own business selling handcrafted rugs and cane chairs. During WWII, he worked at a bomber plant. He even later became an auto mechanic and helped out in roofing projects. His favorite time to be on the roof was from 8 in the evening till 8 in the morning because it was the coolest part of the day.
The more I learned about Father Stander’s father, the more I was amazed. There are many individuals around the world who, after suffering a serious disability, sink into a profound depression. Not Robert Stander, for with the grace of God and hard work and determination, he became a good husband, father and provider.
Out of this marital union, which was a reflection of the union between Jesus Christ and His bride the Catholic Church, came a little boy named Edwin Stander who went on to become a Catholic priest. He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop James Casey May 31, 1963 and for more than 52 years has touched and continues to touch the lives of countless souls. Only in the next life will it be revealed how many souls were saved because of the grace of God and the determination of his parents, Robert and Agnes Stander.
May they be an inspiration for those who suddenly become disabled - for, with the grace of God, they will persevere too.
