"Sounder"
by William H. Armstrong, illustrations by James Barkley.
HarperCollins, New York, 1969, 116 pages, Grades 5-8.
by Katie Patrick
Give to Lincoln Day is just around the corner! In fact, early donations are now being accepted.
From May 1 to May 26, you can donate to Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska to help the poor and vulnerable in our diocese. Your donation will help the women and children at St. Gianna Women’s Homes. It will help families facing food insecurity and it will help cover rent and utilities for households in need. Your donation will help newly arrived refugee families and immigrant families and so much more!
Coordinated by the Lincoln Community Foundation, in partnership with local nonprofit organizations, this is an exciting day for several reasons.
LOOK BACK: 2007 review on "The Empty Pot"
by Demi.
Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1990, 32 pages, Grades 1-3.
by Jeremy Ekeler,
Associate Director of Education Policy
In my previous column I promised to offer ideas for implementing the newly released “The Identity of the Catholic School for a Culture of Dialog” (called “The Identity” from this point forward). As a refresher, “The Identity” was released by the Church to address the troubling trend of declining Catholic school enrollment caused by a culture of rabid secularism (tipping quickly toward anti-religious).
by Jeremy Ekeler,
Associate Director of Education Policy
On March 29, the Holy See’s Congregation of Catholic Education blessed us with the publication of “The Identity of the Catholic School for a Culture of Dialog” (called “The Identity” in this article from this point forward). This document is filled with rich and important teachings. In this column I will lay a foundational summary of the document. In my next column I will share ideas of to implement its teachings in our Catholic school communities.
Before getting into “The Identity” it must be noted that while Church documents are valuable and instructive, they are often overlooked.
by Katie Patrick
Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska raised $28,034 during the annual “Give Hastings Day” this year, with donations going toward our Family Support Services, Food Recovery and Distribution, and St. Gianna Women’s Homes West. Organized by the Hastings Community Foundation, this online giving campaign raised and rallied support for 97 local nonprofits doing great work.
by Fr. Justin Fulton
Christ is Risen! He is Risen Indeed, Alleluia!
Peace be with you.
This will be my last time writing the Messages of Hope column. For it, I would like to share
by Tom Venzor
I realize the title of this column sounds provocative. One might readily think that this article is going to address the issue of what to do during the primary elections, which are already underway through early voting, regarding candidates and the issue of abortion. Rather than address this topic here, you are better off reading Forming Consciences for Faithful Citizenship, issued by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
Instead, this column will address two different topics, one being the upcoming election and the other being an update on the major U.S. Supreme Court case related to abortion. What will lack in provocation will not be lacking in important information, so I hope you keep reading
“Cress Watercress” by Gregory Maguire, illustrated by David Litchfield.
Candlewick Press, Somerville, Massachusetts, 2022, 216 pages, Grades 3-5.
by Katie Patrick
Some of my favorite childhood memories are of riding my bike to the library, Blockbuster and the nearby Quick Shop for Mountain Dew Slurpees with my sister and cousins. The independence and responsibility that my bike gave to me was pretty monumental back in the day. As these bike trips were well before cell phones and GPS monitoring, I remember going over the directions several times with my mom before being allowed to take off down North 81st Street to Adams Street in Lincoln.
Admittedly, I, like probably many of you, have an ever-growing nostalgia for those low-tech days. My cause for reminiscing over these memories from 20-some years ago is from something one of our clients recently said: “My 8-year-old has never owned a bike. This is a true gift!”
by Jeremy Ekeler,
Associate Director of Education Policy
The 60-day legislative session that concluded April 20 was a doozy by any account. With less than two years of experience I’m a relative neophyte in the policy world. But the grizzled veterans in the lobby only confirmed the obvious as they shook their heads and murmured, “I’ve never seen a session like this.” Yet as the dust settles the Nebraska Catholic Conference (NCC) can once again claim a strong showing across the spectrum of issues, including education.
My role is to advocate on behalf of our bishops for the 112 Catholic schools in Nebraska; nearly 30,000 students across the three dioceses. The goals are to form and support policies that help our schools, defend against policies that hurt, and find common ground with public education lobbyists on issues universal to education.
“Cornbread & Poppy”
by Matthew Cordell.
Little, Brown and Company, New York, 2022, 80 pages, Grades 2-3.
by Fr. Justin Fulton
Only Jesus Christ can take manure and make it a fertilizing agent, giving growth to seeds which will fuel and feed His children.
Only Jesus Christ can take dark clouds and heavy rain and bring about a glorious rainbow for the world to behold.
Only Jesus Christ can take the darkest of night and make it a perfect backdrop so that the brightest and most brilliant of stars show through it.
by Tom Venzor
There is a colloquial saying along the lines of “when one thing ends, another begins.” I’m not sure I’ve ever used it myself, up until now. But it’s the best description of what’s happening in Nebraska state politics.
“Kafka and the Doll” by Larissa Theule, illustrated by Rebecca Green.
Viking Press, New York, N.Y., 32 pages, Grades 2-3.
by Katie Patrick
In the Congo with my nonprofit organization, Totonga Bomoi, a passion project other than my full-time work at CSS, we teach a lesson to our aspiring female entrepreneurs about dreaming big.
by Marion Miner, associate director of pro-life & family policy
Note: Before reading the column below, please be aware that Primary Election Day is right around the corner (May 10) and early voting has already begun. To help you understand where candidates stand on the issues, the Nebraska Catholic Conference has officially launched the Nebraska Catholic Voter website (www.NebraskaCatholicVoter.com). At the NCV website, you can learn about candidates for Governor, Nebraska Legislature, State Board of Education, and U.S. Congress. Share our voter guide with your friends, families, and parishioners!
Last Wednesday, the Nebraska Legislature debated and ultimately failed to advance LB933, the Nebraska Human Life Protection Act. The bill, which would have made abortion illegal in Nebraska the day Roe v. Wade is overturned, needed 33 votes to break a filibuster and advance. It received only 31 (with 15 votes against and three absent) and therefore died in the first round.
St. Matthew’s Passion Account Chapters 26-28.
The Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition.
Oxford University Press, 2001, 1,516 pages.
by Fr. Justin Fulton
Do you mind if I share a couple of pictures with you?
by Bob Sullivan
Lately, there has been some talk about banning books across the country, and some encouragement to read banned books. While propaganda and misinformation can do a lot of damage, and many books and materials out there today are obviously propaganda, there may be a better approach when it comes to places that already have the books on the shelf.
“Ambushed! The Assassination Plot Against President Garfield” by Gail Jarrow.
Calkins Creek, New York, 2021, Grades 5-8.
“Mieko and the Fifth Treasure”
by Eleanor Coerr, calligraphy by Cecil Uyehara.
G.P Putnam’s and Sons, New York, 1993, 79 pages, Grades 3-5.
by Tom Venzor
The week of April 4 will be a historic week for the Nebraska Legislature and the pro-life movement. It will mark first round of debate on LB933, the Human Life Protection Act, which would protect preborn babies from the moment of conception if and when Roe v. Wade is overturned. This legislation was introduced by pro-life champion Sen. Joni Albrecht and personally prioritized by Speaker of the Legislature Mike Hilgers.
If you have not yet contacted your State Senator about this legislation, it is absolutely critical that contact them now. You easily do so by texting LIFE to 50457.
by Katie Patrick
In case you missed our Celebration of Hope event Sunday, March 27, please enjoy my speech from that evening. We hope to see you there next year!
“Mole Music”
by David McPhail, author and illustrator.
Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1999, 32 pages, K-3.
by Tom Venzor
First things first, if you have not yet contacted your State Senator about LB933, the Human Life Protection Act, which would protect preborn babies from the moment of conception once Roe v. Wade is overturned (hopefully this summer), please do it now.
You can do so by texting the word LIFE to the phone number 50457.
by Fr. Justin Fulton
Peace be with you. On behalf of Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska, greetings in our Lord Jesus Christ! We hope your Lent has been a time of good reflection for each of you and your particular journeys with Jesus. May your relationship be deepened during this special time of year.
I have always been intrigued by the 4th Station of the Cross: Jesus Meets His Mother. We can all picture the scene. A tired, battered, beaten Son sees the woman who gave birth to Him. There is an encounter of love. We feel the pain in Jesus’s heart but also recognize the pain in Mary’s. Here was a mother who could only be near her Son as He was in agony and torment. She could not take away the horror. She endured it with Him.
by Katie Patrick
Several years ago, I remember sitting around having conversations with my peers saying, If only every nonprofit in Lincoln could do one thing really well, then we could definitely eliminate poverty.
“Nicky and Vera: A Quiet Hero of the Holocaust and the Children He Rescued”
by Peter Sis.
Norton Young Readers, New York, 2021, 64 pages, Grades 2-4
by Tom Venzor
The COVID-19 pandemic’s toll is beyond measure. Counted among the toll is the pandemic’s impact on education. The negative ramifications on students is far-reaching and will be long-lasting, unless serious steps are taken to assist children with education loss recovery.
As one article states, “[t]he damage to individuals is consequential, but the consequences could go deeper.” This same article found that the pandemic has left “students on average five months behind in mathematics and four months behind in reading by the end of the [2020-2021] school year.”
“Watercress”
By Andrea Wang, illustrated by Jason Chin.
Holiday House, New York, 2021, 32 pages, Grades 1-3.
by Tom Venzor
The Nebraska Legislature has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It is sitting on just over $1 billion in federal COVID-19 economic stimulus and pandemic relief money to distribute throughout the state.
These funds were provided through the American Rescue Plan Act (“ARPA”) which was passed by narrow margins last year by the U.S. House and Senate and signed into law by President Biden.
by Fr. Justin Fulton
For this week’s column I think it is most fitting that we give the Boss some space. So, here are some words of judgment from Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as recorded in the Gospel of Matthew Chapter 25.
by Katie Patrick
Several years ago, during the summer of the 100th anniversary of the apparitions of Our Lady of Fatima, I had the opportunity to visit the place where she appeared to the shepherd children, Lucia, Francisco, and Jacinta.
by Tom Venzor
Busy times right now at the Nebraska Unicameral. The Legislature recently hit its halfway mark. But they are far from having completed half the work that is on their plate. Instead, they are roughly a quarter to a third through their workload. If the slower pace of this session continues, it could mean a variety of legislative bills that would typically receive floor debate may receive little to—possibly—no floor debate. Whether this is good or bad is in the eye of the beholder.
“The Candy Bomber: The Story of the Berlin Airlift’s “Chocolate Pilot”
by Michael O. Tunnell.
Charlesbridge Press, Watertown, Mass., 2010, 106 pages, Grades 4-7.
by Bob Sullivan
I have had a pretty active Facebook account for many years. Early on, I was involved in some long discussions with advocates for our culture’s favorite sins such as abortion, homosexual sex, and well, that’s just about it, because nearly every other discussion on a moral issue came down to these two basic things. I also had a number of discussions with people regarding faith, especially their misunderstanding or dislike of Christianity and often Catholic Christianity. I even joined Facebook Groups such as Planned Parenthood groups, anti-Catholic groups, and more political groups such as Catholic Democrats, in order to engage in the discussion of these contentious issues and ideas with the staunchest advocates and activists on Facebook.
by Tom Venzor
The Lincoln City Council recently passed a “Fairness” ordinance. The ordinance purports to combat unjust discrimination against those in the LGBT community. But, the ordinance, like countless state legislative bills we’ve seen, acts as a sword against traditional beliefs on marriage and human sexuality. Recall the court cases of the cakemaker (Jack Phillips), florist (Barronelle Stutzman), and wedding videographer (Telescope Media). The ordinance is being challenged through a referendum petition drive led by Nebraska Family Alliance.
The ordinance and petition drive have raised a fundamental question: what is the role and responsibility of the laity regarding political engagement?
I make this claim because there have been frequent questions: What will the Church do? What will the bishop say? What will my pastor and parish allow?
by Fr. Justin Fulton
I like to submit this abbreviated version of a reflection on Father John Zastrow, by a caregiver of his, Sister Andrea. He died Feb. 2 at the age of 97. God rest him and God bless you for your support of our priests, sisters, and Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska!
“Above the Rim: How Elgin Baylor Changed Basketball”
by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Frank Morrison.
Abrams Books for Young Readers, New York, 2020, 32 pages, Grades 2-4.
by Katie Patrick
Last month, I wrote about the jovial and hardworking Knights of Columbus who make sandwiches for the homeless and low income families in Lincoln. This week, I want to turn our attention west to our food program services at our outreach office in Hastings, and our food distribution routes across central Nebraska.
A republication of some of my older reviews in an abbreviated form.
by Tom Venzor
As faithful readers of this column know, sometimes the plate is full and I feel like I’m better off giving you a smattering of many things rather than treating any one particular issue. Well, now is one of those moments. So, in the spirit of one of those fancy meat and cheese trays, here is a smattering of various legislative activities and issues going on these days.
by Bob Sullivan
When I first started attending pro-life events and working with pro-life groups, I met members of many Catholic parishes across the state. For a long time, it seemed like being pro-life was synonymous with being Catholic. This was because nearly everyone you met was Catholic, especially the leadership.
by Fr. Justin Fulton
The Super Bowl is once again upon us. Who are you taking this weekend? Will you be rooting for the Cincinnati Bengals, whose head coach played for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and whose quarterback has family that played for the Huskers?
by Tom Venzor
It’s that time of year for you to register and join the Nebraska Catholic Conference for our annual Catholic advocacy day, Catholics at the Capitol. This year’s Catholics at the Capitol lineup is promising and will equip you to be an informed and faithful citizen.
To quote our Holy Father, Pope Francis: “A good Catholic meddles in politics.” And Catholics at the Capitol gives you that very opportunity: to meddle in politics by learning about important legislative issues and advocate for your State Senator on behalf of values and legislation that matter.
“Fallout: Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown”
By Steve Sheinkin.
Roaring Brook Press, New York, 2021, 342 pages, Grades 7-12.
by Tom Venzor
I’m not sure what the opposite of the “dog days” of summer are. I’d like to think they are the “cat days” of winter, but I’ll try not to push too many lazy jokes on you. After all, I’d hate to lose my audience before you even start reading the good stuff below.
“The People’s Painter: How Ben Shahn Fought For Justice With Art”
by Cynthia Levinson, illustrated by Evan Turk.
Abrams Books for Young Readers, New York, 2021, 48 pages, Grades 2-4.
by Katie Patrick
Let’s consider for a moment the different aspects of our daily life where our Catholic faith can play an active role, or where the faith at least informs it.
All throughout our diocese, there are organizations, institutions and businesses where either the mission and/or the person are formed and inspired by the Catholic faith.
by Bob Sullivan
The Jan, 21 March for Life in Washington D.C., marked the 49th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, which is certain to go down in history as one of the worst, and certainly the deadliest Supreme Court decisions in the history of our country.
I don’t plan on going ever again, not because it isn’t a powerful experience. It is a very powerful experience to physically stand among hundreds of thousands of other Americans who are showing up for one purpose. Nor is my decision based on frustration or hopelessness. In fact, it is just the opposite. Participating in the annual March for Life is extremely satisfying and hopeful, especially when you see how young most of the participants are.
“Willodeen”
by Katherine Applegate, illustrated by Charles Santoso.
Feiwel and Friends, New York, 2021, 260 pages, Grades 4-6.
by Fr. Justin Fulton
Have you been sick yet this cold and flu season? Whether it be COVID—Delta, Omicron or any other variant, the flu, strep, or a cold, it seems like there is a lot of stuff out there that can knock us off the rails.
by Tom Venzor
The 107th Legislature, Second Session, is moving at the speed of light, and there appears to be no letting up anytime soon.
As with any “short” 60-day session, there are many events taking place simultaneously. Bill introductions. Bill analysis. Floor debate. Committee hearings. Advocacy. Negotiations. There is no shortage of excitement, even if there is a shortage of sleep for those closely working at and with the Unicameral. Given so many things taking place, I thought it’d be good to give you some bite-size samplings of what is taking place.
by Marion Miner, Associate Director of Pro-Life & Family Policy
and Paige Brown, Statewide Pro-Life Activities Coordinator
The United States is at a pivotal point in its history. Deliberations for the historic Supreme Court case Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization have spurred a national conversation about the future of abortion. Many states, including Nebraska, are reckoning with their abortion laws.
Nebraskans—always leaders in the pro-life movement—are ready to relegate abortion-on-demand to the past and more fully embrace preborn children and their mothers. But they will need special help from their Legislature. Thanks to three determined senators, this session the Legislature will deliberate a heartbeat bill, a bill that would prohibit abortions if and when Roe is overturned, and a bill that addresses the unsafe practices of those offering chemical abortions in Nebraska.
By Dr. Terrence Nollen
The Children’s Literature Bookshelf began in December 2006. Since that time, hundreds of reviews of important children’s books have been written for the Southern Nebraska Register.
Much time has passed since the beginning of the column. A republication of some reviews, in an abbreviated form, might prove helpful. As a result, I will be presenting two older reviews each month, which can be increased in number if readers find them useful.
By Katie Patrick
When I sat down to write this article last Friday, I knew that I wanted to share with you the behind-the-scenes effort of our daily lunch program in Lincoln. I wanted to find a way to describe to you the jovial and steadfast group of Knights of Columbus (Msgr. Maurice Helmann Council #11280 of St. John the Apostle Parish in Lincoln) who come several times a month to prepare sandwiches for our clients.
by Bob Sullivan
As you drive through Nebraska, you commonly see billboards and signs which encourage you to “Choose Life,” “Protect Life,” or several other pro-life messages. Some of these signs and billboards include the Divine Mercy image brought to us through St. Faustina.
When I’m driving between Wahoo and Hastings, I know exactly where three of these large billboards stand, and they often act as a sacramental, reminding me to pray or at least think of God’s mercy and how grateful I should be for it. How many people notice that sign on the North side of I-80 near Seward and briefly turn their mind toward Jesus?
A while back, I was giving a talk in a public library. The topic was Planned Parenthood’s effort to get a foothold in rural Nebraska.
by Tom Venzor
Pro-Life Mass & Nebraska Walk for Life. The Annual Pro-Life Mass and Nebraska Walk for Life are only a few weeks away. Pro-life work can be taxing, so let the Lord pour over you His love and graces at the annual Pro-Life Mass before the Nebraska Walk for Life at 9 a.m. Jan. 29 at St. Mary Church in Lincoln. Bishop Hanefeldt of the Diocese of Grand Island will celebrate the Mass. Father Justin Fulton, vicar general of the Diocese of Lincoln, will deliver the homily. The Mass will be live-streamed on the NCC Facebook page. *Please note that we will be observing any DHMs in place at the time of the event.
Immediately following the Mass, the annual Nebraska Walk for Life, sponsored by Nebraska Right to Life, begins at 10 a.m. on the North steps of the Capitol. Find more information at the Nebraska Right to Life website or Facebook page. We hope to see you at the largest annual demonstration in our great state!
by Fr. Justin Fulton
Happy New Year! May the peace of Jesus Christ flood into your hearts and may that Peace take away all anxieties, fears, and tribulation. God loves you. He created you out of love. He created you for love. He loves you. Don’t ever forget that!
As I sit here and type, I have the fresh aroma of ground Folgers sitting here in my coffee cup. I like my coffee straight black. Coffee is a ritual and an elixir that starts me up and keeps me going. I am a fan of coffee.
Coffee beans sure are amazing. Imagine a tiny little soul giving up its own identity, not thinking of itself, being crushed and losing its own form to be consumed by a human being to give vigor, life, freshness and joy when a person really, really needs it....
Oh—I suppose just like Jesus Christ!
“The Black Death”
By Diane Zahler.
Twenty-First Century Books, Minneapolis, 2009, 160 pages, Grades 7-10.
“Wishtree” by Kate Applegate, illustrated by Charles Santoso.
Feiwel and Friends, New York, 2017, 211 pages, Grades 3-6.
by Katie Patrick
On Wednesday, Nov. 24, my husband and I welcomed into the world our twin daughters, Keira Josephine and Saoirse Louise Patrick. I’m embarrassed to report now that having been told by my doctor earlier that morning that they could arrive that same day, I left the doctor’s office and went straight to CSS to finalize my departure: sending last-minute emails, making phone calls, reviewing grant applications, touching base with my boss and with my staff, and sending thank-you notes. All worthwhile tasks, but now that I look back it’s a reminder of how consumed with control we humans can be in the face of the unknown. How we revert to turning ever so quickly to what we have control over, learning that all too soon we have control over very little. And boy is that the truth.
This column originally appeared in the Southern Nebraska Register Dec. 22, 2017.
George Frideric Handel’s famed oratorio, Messiah, recounts—in a musically dramatic way—the life of Jesus Christ. In Part I, Handel relies on the prophecies of Isaiah, reminding us of God the Father’s promise to Israel—and all the nations—that a Lord will be given to them to rule in justice and peace. Particularly, Handel draws from Isaiah 9:6 which foretells the birth of the Messiah: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder.”
As we celebrate the birth of Jesus, we would do well to consider the implications of this decisive fact of human history for our political life. Do we place government on the shoulders of the Christ Child, who has fulfilled the prophecies of Isaiah? Does Christ shoulder the burdens and evils of our politics? Do we allow Christ to be the foundation for our government? Or do we put our hopes in false messiahs, the political demagogues of our day?
Christ, Hope for Humanity. While Christ invites us to suffer with Him and enter into His redemptive work, the burdens and evils of this world were not meant for us to shoulder. From the outset of salvation history, God the Father has promised the Messiah to atone for our sinfulness (see Genesis 3:15).
This promise is necessary to overcome the “structures of sin,” as St. Pope John Paul II called them, created by our personal sins. The structures of sin are produced by a “world divided into blocs, sustained by rigid ideologies, and in which instead of interdependence and solidarity different forms of imperialism hold sway[.]” They create the “sum total of negative factors working against a true awareness of the universal common good, and the need to further it[.]” Such ‘structures’ give “the impression of creating, in persons and institutions, an obstacle which is difficult to overcome.”
Deeply embedded in our political situation, structures of sin create obstacles to relief for the poor and vulnerable, the immigrant, the unborn, the un- and under-educated, the prisoner, among others.
Christ, Hope for the Nations. N.T. Wright, an acclaimed Anglican Scripture scholar and theologian, has commented that “[w]e place too much trust in our politicians because we place too little trust in God, and in the self-revelation of the living God in the child who is born to us. And when our politicians let us down, all we can think of is how to find another politician, who will get it right this time.” This tendency to find ultimate hope in a particular political leader or party has been known as “political messianism.”
But political messianism is nothing new. As the author of Ecclesiastes reminds us: “[T]here is nothing new under the sun” (Eccl. 1:9).
Even at the time of Jesus, His role as Messiah was misunderstood. The Christ, it was thought, would overcome the political rulers of the day, to reestablish the kingship of David and the power of the Israelite people over the other nations. But, as Pope Benedict XVI has stated: “[T]he true messiah is not David’s son, but David’s Lord. He sits, not on David’s throne, but on God’s throne.”
It is the Lord who brings about the greatest freedom, peace, and justice that humanity could ever desire: salvation from the bondage of our sinfulness. No politician can generate this freedom, despite our hopes to the contrary. While this reflection could be true of many political leaders, as Wright preached shortly after the election of President Obama: “The irrational joy and hope at his election only shows the extent to which other hopes have failed, making us snatch too eagerly at sudden fresh signs. And that can only be because we have forgotten the Christmas message, or have neutered it, have rendered it toothless, as though the shoulder of the child born this night was simply a shoulder for individuals to lean on rather than the shoulder to take the weight of the world’s government.”
May Christmas cultivate in our hearts a reliance in the true Messiah who renews our fragile, broken political system and brings true freedom, justice, and peace.
“B is For Bethlehem”
by Isabel Wilner, illustrated by Elisa Kleven.
Worthy Ideals, Nashville, Tenn., 2015, 32 pages, K-3 and Adults loving Christmas.
by Bob Sullivan
In my last column, I gave you some ideas on how to question someone who claimed Christmas is a holiday with pagan roots. That may have left you wondering how you can show someone that Christmas is a purely Christian celebration.
In the early Church, the date of Christ’s birth was not a settled issue. Apparently, no one interviewed the shepherds about the precise date.
by Fr. Justin Fulton
Peace be with you.
On behalf of the employees, staff, volunteers, benefactors and Board of Directors of Catholic Social Services, I want to wish each and every one of you a blessed, safe, and Merry Christmas!
by Bob Sullivan
Did Christmas come from Saturnalia in honor of Saturnus, the pagan god of agriculture? Or was it the pagan celebration of the winter solstice, Brumalia? Or possibly, Christmas evolved from the pagan celebration for its god Mithras?
Around this time of year, you may have a relative or a friend who suggests that Christmas, and therefore much of Christianity, is nothing more than a rebranding of more ancient pagan beliefs and practices. In doing so, the challenger is suggesting that your Christian faith is a manmade fiction and has little or no basis in reality.
“When Jessie Came Across the Sea”
By Amy Hest, illustrated by P.J. Lynch.
Candlewick Press, Cambridge, Mass., 1997, 32 pages, Grades 2-4.
The United States has always been filled with immigrants. These hardy souls come to this country for many similar reasons: there is poverty in their homeland and many opportunities in America; some people suffer from religious and political persecutions and desire the democratic freedoms the United States offers.
by Marion Miner
During oral arguments in the Dobbs case Dec. 1, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonya Sotomayor asked Scott Stewart, Mississippi’s solicitor general, whether his argument that abortion takes a human life could be “anything but a religious view.”
After all, she said, philosophers have “hotly debated” the issue since time began. “When,” she asked, “do you suggest we begin that life … apart from religion”?
One place Justice Sotomayor might have looked for enlightenment is the scientific discipline that studies such things.
by Fr. Justin Fulton
Back a few years ago I put up a Christmas tree for the first time in my apartment. I found it to be very life giving. It was a good respite after the Thanksgiving holiday, and I also decorated the fireplace and hung a stocking in my basement apartment.
Dear Readers:
Thank you for sharing another year of children’s books with me. It is an honor to write for the Southern Nebraska Register. I hope that the reviews have helped you choose books for your families. Additionally, I would like to thank readers for suggesting titles for the column. For his wonderful contributions to children’s literature, Walter de la Mare, the 1947 winner of the Carnegie Medal stated: “Only the rarest kind of best in anything is good enough for the young.”
by Marion Miner
I had the opportunity to be in Washington, D.C. Dec. 1 when the U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Center. After spending much of the morning at a rally on the Court steps with other pro-lifers, I settled into a friend’s office to listen to oral arguments for the case that has become our best opportunity to overturn Roe v. Wade in nearly 30 years.
by Fr. Justin Fulton
“Look what my friend gave me today. My heart is full. Tomorrow I am four years sober by the Grace of God. Thank you for everything!!!!”
- A text from a former St. Gianna Women’s Home Client to Sister Bernadette at St. Gianna’s
by Tom Venzor
I can hear the words of Andy Williams playing in the back of my head already: “It’s the most wonderful time of the year…. It’s the hap, happiest season of all.” That’s right, it’s that time of the year when we at the Nebraska Catholic Conference are counting down the days until the next legislative session.
This year’s legislative session will be a “short” session, but there will be no shortage of public policy and politicking to be had. It begins, as every session does, on the first Wednesday after the first Monday of January—or, more precisely, Jan. 5.
I like to write this column about the upcoming session about a month in advance to give Catholics a heads up, so they can more intently think about and pray for our legislature. But I also write this time in advance because over the next couple weeks, Marion Miner, our Associate Director for Pro-Life & Family Policy, will be writing this column.
by Fr. Justin Fulton
Today, I share with you a “memo” that was shared with me during my seminary years at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Philadelphia. I do not know where this “memo” came from, but I have always kept it with me after all of these years. Have a read….
by Paige Brown,
Statewide Pro-Life Activities Coordinator
In the coming days, the Supreme Court will have the unique opportunity to alter the course of America’s history with abortion, which has already violated the human dignity of 62,000,000 preborn children, and millions of mothers and fathers. Opening arguments for Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization are scheduled for Dec. 1. Prayer rallies and demonstrations are scheduled to take place in front of the Supreme Court to commemorate the start of proceedings. A multidenominational prayer campaign kicked off Nov. 18: Pray for Dobbs (www.PrayForDobbs.com). Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant congregations are participating with prayer and fasting in support of the fiercest opponent to Roe v. Wade we’ve seen. Needless to say, people of faith, committed to science, are preparing for this monumental moment.
by Katie Patrick
CSS volunteers teamed up with the Knights of Columbus Nov. 13 to host the annual “Coats for Kids” event at our downtown Lincoln location. This event is led by the Knights of Columbus, who throughout the month of October promote the collection and gather coats, hats, scarves, and gloves at parishes across town in preparation for distribution to the many families we serve at CSS.
“Pumpkin Soup” by Helen Cooper
Macmillan Press, New York, 1998, 32 pages, Grades K-2.
by Tom Venzor
Popularized by Stephen Covey, a concept rooted in the philosophical tradition of Aristotle and St. Thomas Aquinas worthy of reflection is the idea of “beginning with the end in mind.”
Such a question can quickly put any number of things into perspective for us. As a husband and a father, having “the end in mind” has on many occasions quickly jolted me out of failures in charity toward my wife and children. This mindset helps me keep an eye on what I want to become and how I can, with the grace of God, get there.
“Strongheart: Wonder Dog of the Silver Screen” by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Eric Rohmann
Schwartz and Wade books, New York, 2018, 245 pages, Grades 4-6.
by Fr. Justin Fulton
Peace be with you.
On behalf of the employees, staff, volunteers, benefactors and Board of Directors of Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska, I want to wish each and every one of you a blessed, safe, and happy Thanksgiving!
by Tom Venzor
As the days of November come and go, the Church finds herself living out the final days of our liturgical year. Before the days of Advent come upon us, we have what I personally believe to be one of the hidden gems of the Church’s liturgical calendar: the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. The name alone is intense enough to attract our attention!
“Crash, Splash, Moo!” by Bob Shea
Little, Brown and Company, New York, 2018, 32 pages, Grades K-2.
by Katie Patrick
One of the many things I love about Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska is that we fill a gap in the nonprofit community across all of southern Nebraska that others don’t. The programs that we offer include emergency cash assistance, food market and meal services, immigration legal services, refugee resettlement and employment services, and St. Gianna Women’s Homes for survivors of domestic violence and crisis pregnancy. They all offer something that no other agency—or very few agencies—do.
by Bob Sullivan
You probably didn’t notice, but In Layman’s Terms took a little hiatus in September and October. That was because I came down with COVID-19 and ended up in the hospital because I had developed blood clots which ended up in my lungs.
After two weeks of flu-like symptoms, followed by eight days in intensive care in the hospital, I made it back home where I have continued my recovery. As of the writing of this column, it has been over a month since I recognized my first symptoms of COVID.
by Jeremy Ekeler
The Nebraska Department of Education’s (NDE) two-year attempt at state-wide comprehensive sexuality education standards was a divisive disaster. However, the state government’s foremost educational organization did unintentionally teach valuable lessons along the way. Pay attention—there will be study guides and a final test.
“The World I Live In” by Helen Keller.
146 pages (E-book), 1904, Grades 9-12.
by Fr. Justin Fulton
Here is a picture of my next-door neighbor Nick Shaw and myself back in 1986. At that time, we had no idea Nick would someday be a successful businessman in the medical services industry and myself a priest. Life sure is unpredictable! Here is one of my favorite prayers:
by Jeremy Ekeler
The eruption caused by the Nebraska Department of Education’s (NDE) Health Standards now reverberates in local and national media outlets that are exposing hundreds of internal NDE emails.
These emails were made public after concerned Nebraskans made official records requests. The NDE’s manipulation of process, disregard for parent voices, and engagement with activists are on display in the correspondence. The Omaha World Herald and Lincoln Journal Star, and now the Washington Free Beacon, Life News, and Breitbart have picked up the story.
by Katie Patrick
Focused on the theme of love thy neighbor, World Mission Sunday has been a day that I look forward to all year round, and as I read Pope Francis’ message to the universal Church this week, I was struck by his words, “We know that the call to mission is not a thing of the past, or a romantic leftover from earlier times. Today, too Jesus needs hearts capable of experiencing vocation as a true love story that urges them to go forth to the peripheries of our world as messengers and agents of compassion. He addresses this call to everyone, and in different ways. We can think of the peripheries all around us, in the heart of our cities or our own families. Universal openness to love has a dimension that is not geographical but existential.”
“The Second Sky”
by Patrick Guest, illustrated by Jonathan Bentley.
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2017, 32 pages, K-3.
by Bob Sullivan
The slogan, “My Body My Choice” was adopted (pun intended) by abortion advocates many years ago. When an abortion advocate says “my body my choice,” they mean that the mother should be allowed to make the decision whether or not to have an abortion, and no one else in the world should be allowed to interfere with her decision. They are saying that a person gets to make their own decisions about what happens with or to their own body.
As with all propaganda, there is a lot of truth to this statement, but there is also untruth. This is because when we are talking about abortion, we are talking about two bodies (at least).
“My body my choice” works fine when you are deciding whether or not to get a haircut, but it is illogical when you are deciding to drive your carload of friends recklessly. Nor would it work if you decided to blow yourself up with a bomb while in a room with at least one other person.
by Tom Venzor
In honor of Saint Pope John Paul II’s feast day, I would like to offer this tribute to JPII from a couple years ago.
Walker Percy, the acclaimed Southern novelist and Catholic, once said: “In this society, which is post-Christian, post-modern… there is no coherent theory of man.”
By this, Percy meant that the modern understanding of who and what the human person is lacks consistency. Modern man’s understanding—rooted in “a kind of pop scientific idea”—sees the body and the mind as radically divided, rather than unified and working together. “Consequently,” Percy claimed, “the modern man is deranged.” By deranged, Percy did not necessarily mean “insane,” as we might initially assume. Instead, Percy meant something different: modern man is disordered, dis-arranged.
“Edmund Campion: Hero of God’s Underground”
by Harold C. Gardiner, S.J.
Ignatius Press, San Francisco, 1992, 180 pages, Grades 8-10.
by Fr. Justin Fulton
This is a picture of my 2-year-old niece Juliana. Jules is quite the character. Here she is grumpy and frumpy. Her mother tells me this is what Jules did when she was asked to smile for the camera. Juliana reminds me a lot of me, frankly.
“The Someone New”
By Jill Twiss, illustrated by E.G. Keller
Harper, New York, 2019, 32 pages, Grades K-2.
by Marion Miner
During the morning portion of the recently concluded 2021 Bishops’ Pro-Life Conference, attendees delved deeply into important truths about the identity of the human person and the deeply consequential errors that deny them.
As Western culture and law distances itself from those truths—a reality that becomes more apparent with each passing year—it becomes more and more important for Catholics and others of good will to recall, understand, and bear witness to them.
by Katie Patrick
It seems that each time I sign onto Facebook these days, I see yet another gender reveal video from one of my friends. The most popular have been cutting cakes, popping balloons, and lighting smoke or confetti fireworks.
My husband and I used a piñata for the announcement of our twins in May. As the candy spilled out, I was confused by the mint green color thinking at first in the sunlight it was blue, but as I reached down to pick up the chocolate-wrapped candy, “It’s a Girl!!” was clearly marked on all of the pieces. Two girls! Even though they have yet to arrive, as their mother, I’m already concerned about the teenage years of fashion, boys, and staying out past midnight. Superficial concerns perhaps, but influential ones just the same. I’m also feeling guilty for all the sleepless nights I gave my own parents when “just one more party” seemed so harmless to me back then. Honestly, I don’t know how parents sleep at all. Hopefully, I will learn.
