SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2020
It’s Been a While!
Welcome Back to Spalding Academy!
T
hings feel a bit different this year as we approach the fall season and the start of a new school year. With the strangest spring semester in memory due to COVID-19 behind us, we look forward with hopeful anticipation to beginning the slow return to our new normal. There are still many unknowns about the details of how things will function, but some things thankfully will remain the same. At the top of that list is the fact that Spalding Academy will continue to offer an unparalleled education to our students, supporting them through new challenges and helping them to grow in their faith, all at the same time. “I hope [our students] are excited,” says Principal Amy McKay. “I hope they feel safe and ready to go, rejuvenated and ready to see their friends, ready to see teachers, and hopefully they have a sense of relief, that things are maybe somewhat normal.” In the midst of the chaos of the world around us, Mrs. McKay hopes that our school will be a place where students can find comfort and security in their faith, as well as people who care about helping them adjust and succeed. “We’re here to educate kids and we want them to have a strong academic base,” Mrs. McKay says. “We’re going to continue to do that, whatever mode we’re using. We’re going to continue to push
our students — to really challenge them from the beginning and to support them on their way.” The theme for this year, “God is Love,” has also been chosen. “God loves us and wants us to love Him,” Mrs. McKay says. “Loving others is loving God. As we move into a new school year, we want to focus on ‘God is Love’ to help focus our behavior in a positive way — to help build positive relationships with our classmates, to help build a positive school environment.” In order to make up for retreats that our students were unable to attend last spring, we continued on page 2
Welcome Back to Spalding Academy! continued from front cover
will kick off the year with mini-retreats, providing students with an opportunity to refocus and deepen their spirituality from the very start. “The Catholic faith can give you that sense of feeling safe, a sense of the normal,” Mrs. McKay says. “Coming back together and having prayer and retreat time will bring our faith back into focus, that God is the one who helps us to do things.” Despite the challenges of this last school year, Mrs. McKay saw positives in many areas, for teachers, and students and their families. She also saw a change in perspective, particularly an increased appreciation for things that are often taken for granted. “Hopefully [our students] appreciate relationships more and realize how important they are, both with fellow students and with teachers,” Mrs. McKay says. “The things they took for granted, maybe now they can see the bigger picture. “I think some of them have changed in knowing that their teachers are here to help them,” she adds. “I think this made them realize their teachers are not out to get them, seeing their teachers putting in that extra effort or calling individually to check in on them.” Mrs. McKay asks our parish community to continue to support our students in prayer as they make the transition back to school. She also hopes that parishioners will continue to volunteer and participate in Mass and other special events with our students and school community, as soon as it becomes safe to do so. “Prayers are huge,” Mrs. McKay says. “We appreciate everybody who prays for us and we also love to have the community and the parish involved in [school events] — it just shows witness to the kids.” Mrs. McKay looks forward to welcoming our staff and students back, and getting the new school year off to a great start. “We hope everybody comes in excited and ready to learn,” Mrs. McKay says. “We’re ready to take a situation and build on it, and turn it into something great — to take those new skills we had to learn, and fly with them.” 2
If you would like more information about Spalding Academy, please visit www.SpaldingAcademy.org. For specific questions about how our school is keeping students safe in the new school year, please see our website or contact the school office at 308-497-2103.
A Letter From Our Pastor
“Coincidental” Stewardship Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
T
he famous author G.K. Chesterton once said, “Coincidences are God’s way of staying anonymous.” Since fully embracing the stewardship way of life, coincidences have become cherished experiences for which I thank God — and rightly so! While God stays anonymous, coincidences are His way of interacting with the world He created. Importantly, as we have been continually impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and with many of our circumstances changing day to day, we can be grateful for His “coincidental” intervention. As I continue to witness the grace-filled effects of the stewardship way of life on our parish, and in my own life, it is definitely God’s hand at work in our lives of faith. If some identify a coincidence as a “surprise blessing” that lifts the spirits and draws one closer to gratefulness to God, we cannot deny that in those circumstances that God is giving us the grace to live and celebrate our faith. So, let’s celebrate the coincidences! Celebrate the coincidence that Chesterton himself converted to Catholicism late in his life, yet wrote book after book affirming and defending the Catholic faith long before his conversion. Four years after Chesterton joined the Catholic Church, he wrote a phenomenal book called The Catholic Church and Conversion. It is one of the best works on conversion to Catholicism, as well as a wonderful description of conversion to the stewardship way of life. The same experiences, or “coincidences,” apply when we find ourselves drawn into the understanding, practice and expression of discipleship, known to us as “stewardship.” Chesterton describes conversion in three steps.
“The convert takes his first step rather unwittingly when he decides he’s going to be fair to the Catholic Church,” he wrote. The convert to stewardship must also dispel the “myths of stewardship” and give it a chance. This first step of conversion then leads to a long and enjoyable second step, which is the utter fascination of learning what the Catholic Church really does teach. Chesterton says, “It is like discovering a new continent full of strange flowers and fantastic animals, which is at once wild and hospitable.” For the stewardship convert, it is recognizing that stewardship is a practical way of living the Gospel. It makes sense, and others are doing it with joy and passion. What they have, the convert also wants. Then, the convert to Catholicism suddenly realizes with a shock that he can no longer be detached and impartial about the Catholic Church. The convert to the stewardship way of life realizes this is the way he or she wants to live — and makes the commitment to do so. If this were not true of what Christ has called us to be, I would not be writing this today. If this were not true of our commitment to stewardship, you may not be reading this today. And, if this were not true of a stewardship parish such as ours, we would not be the faithful stewards we are today. Wouldn’t you also agree it is a “coincidence” to thank God for each day of our lives? Sincerely yours in Christ and His Mother,
Fr. Antony Pastor 3
Meet The Mu
COMMITTED TO GROWING
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or Tony and Aprill Murphy, involvement in our parish community has truly been a lifelong endeavor, having both grown up in St. Michael Parish. When Tony was 18 and Aprill was 16, they met on a “Going Bananas for Jesus” retreat. Little did these two teenagers know what the future would hold for them! Today, the Murphys have been married for 20 years and have four children — Dawson, 17; Addie, 14; Autumn, 12; and Deacon, 6. Faith and service continue to be at the center of their life together as they remain active both in the parish and at Spalding Academy. To this day, spiritual retreats remain important to Tony and Aprill. In fact, they recently led an eight-week Choice Wine couples retreat, and have also participated in a weekend retreat at Cloisters on the Platte. In addition, Aprill is a member and past president of the St. Anne’s Altar Society, and Tony is a member of the Knights of Columbus and Men’s Club. Both are very active with Spalding Academy — Tony has served on the school board, and Aprill has served on the academic committee for the Spalding Academy Leadership Team (SALT). The Murphys love getting to know their fellow parishioners in all of these ministries. “I think my favorite thing about St. Anne’s [Altar Society] is the socialization,” Aprill says. “It’s fun to get out with other women and socialize with some women I might not normally get to interact with because we’re in different age groups or different circles. The year I was president, it was kind of crazy because I had a new baby, a 1-year-old and a 4-year-old. I was able to do it because so many people were able to pitch in and help. There are always people willing to help.” In addition to serving with our parish and school groups, Aprill also identified and helped to fill a need in our wider community. “My friend, Lori Carraher, and I started a 4
The Murphy family (clockwise from top left). Dawson, Aprill, Addie, Tony, Deacon, and Autumn.
non-profit daycare in Spalding called Children of Christ,” she says. “Right now, the church kind of oversees it. We had seen a need for daycare in the community. One thing led to another, things just seemed to fall into place, and we honestly just had fun doing it. They do incorporate the faith there, with prayers before meals and talking about God throughout the day. Kids that age are sponges, and they love it.” Sharing the faith with their own children has always been a top priority for Tony and Aprill. Their oldest three children are altar servers and help out with church and school events with their parents. Of course, life with four children can be busy, and living out our faith doesn’t always require a grand gesture. In fact, sometimes the little moments of prayer and gratitude are just as transformative.
urphy Family
G IN THE FAITH TOGETHER “Something else we’ve been trying to do as a family is pray the Rosary, whether it’s at home or in the car,” Aprill says. “It’s so easy to squeeze God into your life, to give Him five minutes here or there, to give gratitude. I have a friend who, anytime something good happens in her life, says, ‘Thank You, Jesus.’ Now I’ve started to do it, and I’ve noticed my kids starting to pick up on it, too.” The Murphys are also thankful for the strong Catholic education that their children receive at Spalding Academy and the continuing opportunity for our young parishioners to participate in retreats such as Higher Ground, Teens Encounter Christ (TEC), National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC), Steubenville etc. “I think the Catholic education and trying to keep that going for the next generation is an
important thing,” Tony says. “When I was a kid, it helped me to understand God more and want to go to church more. Retreats also help keep the faith burning. I went on Outward Bound my senior year of high school, and it changed my whole perspective on the faith and gave me a desire to serve.” Committed to continue growing in the faith alongside their children, the Murphys have fully embraced the stewardship way of life and found themselves richly blessed in return. “Stewardship creates a deeper relationship with the Lord, and everything becomes so much more meaningful,” Aprill says. “I definitely feel like I’m so much further along in my faith journey than I was five years ago. Like with anything in life, the more you put in, the more you get out of it.”
The Murphy family — (from left) Dawson, Autumn, Aprill, Deacon, Addie, and Tony 5
Questions & Answers About Our Annual Stewardship Renewal T his has most certainly been a trying and unusual year, as we have navigated through uncharted waters. In the face of great uncertainty or difficulty, it is easy to become complacent. Yet, this is not what God calls us to do. We are called to live stewardship as a way of life — in the good, bad or uncertain times. In moments of trial, God raises up saints! Our Stewardship Renewal reminds us that God’s gifts never stop being poured out. In turn, we never should have reason to stop thanking Him. So, let us all take this Stewardship Renewal as an opportunity to strengthen our relationship with God in the midst of our rapidly changing world.
Commitment Weekend is Oct. 17-18. Don’t forget to return your Commitment Card! How do I use my Commitment Card? Time Section: Everyone should be able to check the boxes to commit to attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days or to view the Masses online during the crisis. In addition to those commitments, try to check at least a few other items. Daily prayer should be a priority for every person trying to grow closer to God. We recognize that the current crisis may impact your ability to carry out your commitments. Know the Lord sees what is in your heart and is pleased with your best efforts. Talent Section: You can either sign up for new ministries or re-commit to your current ministries. Be sure to write your first name next to the ministry! This is especially important if the card is being used by more than one person. Treasure Section: Clearly print how much money you plan to give each week or month to our parish. 6
Issues like my age, physical limitations, and the current crisis prevent me from being active in the parish. Should I still turn in a Commitment Card? Yes! This is our Annual Commitment to God. The first section of the card — Stewardship of Time — is the most important because it allows you to make commitments to prayer. Even if you can’t join a ministry or make it to Mass on Sunday, you can still pray for our parish. Your spiritual support has tremendous value in the eyes of God.
One time I turned in a card, but no one ever called me when I signed up for a ministry. If this happened in the past, please forgive us! And don’t give up on filling out your Commitment Card! We have a very good plan to call every person interested in joining a new ministry. If for some reason the ministry leader does not call you within four weeks of turning in your card, let the parish office know. What if I can’t fulfill my financial pledge? While our pledge is not a “contract,” we should all make a good-faith effort to fulfill it. Of course, if your financial circumstances change — if you lose your job, for instance — then the amount of money you give the Church will change, too. Likewise if you get a raise or bonus. The biggest reason many people don’t fulfill their pledge is that they attend Mass at another parish when they go on vacation, attend a wedding, etc. If you’re out of town, just make up for the missed Sunday when you write your next check to the parish. Using your envelopes is a good way to see which Sundays you missed. We also have the option for parishioners to sign up for Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT).
Pandemic forces Cancellation this year, but we’ll be back in 2021 with Our
Annual Greeley Irish Festival A
lthough we are disappointed that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the cancellation of this year’s Annual Greeley Irish Festival at Sacred Heart Parish, the festival committee is already gearing up for an exciting return of this wonderful event in 2021. Each year, the festival features nonstop entertainment planned on the outdoor stage. This year’s event, which was originally scheduled for Sept. 19, was slated to include the Dublin City Ramblers, Houston rock band the Blaggards, and others. The Dowds Irish Dance Academy — a crowd favorite — were also scheduled to perform, as well as the Omaha Pipes and Drum Corps. We hope these great entertainers will be able to join us next year, when we expect the festival to be the biggest and best one yet! What else can we expect in 2021? The festival traditionally opens from the stage with a welcome from our pastor, Fr. Antony. Then, the excitement moves to downtown, where the Irish families carrying their Irish clan flags are piped to the stage by the Omaha Corps. Their flags will be placed around the stage as the families are introduced. This outstanding annual gathering of parishioners, friends, and community members all began more than 14 years ago when Fr. Joe Hannappel asked Parish Council members to plan an event that would bring the church community together on an annual basis, and to celebrate our parish. “We went through several ideas and this, the Irish Festival, survived the discussion and this is what was decided,” says Mike McQuillan, General Chair. “It was generated from a Parish Council meeting and they are the same people on the festival committee now. It has been very successful, and much
One of the bands entertains the crowd during the Greeley Irish Festival at Sacred Heart Parish. The music during the festival is non-stop throughout the day.
bigger than what Fr. Joe imagined. It brings everyone together with pride and joy, and it was everything he wanted us to do. It transforms the town and triples the population in one day.” With the large Irish population in Greeley, an Irish Festival was a natural to plan. Each year, it brings hundreds together in fellowship under the hospitality of Sacred Heart Parish. “The first one we had, we didn’t know what to expect,” Mike says. “We had over 1,000 attend. We handled it! We had a tight budget, and we could only hire three bands.” As part of the planning of this year’s festival before it was canceled, special steps had been taken to help keep everyone safe, according to guidelines. Volunteers were being assigned to sanitize surfaces throughout the day. One of the major festival sponsors, a screen printing company that prints the volunteers’ shirts, was also making face masks with the festival logo for the volunteers. Should social-distancing and other precautions still in place in 2021, these items will certainly be put to good use! “We have a committee of 10 people who continued on back cover
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Families in Faith 150 W. Marguerite St.│P.O. Box 310 Spalding, NE 68665│308.497.2662 www.families-infaith.com
Irish Festival
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have been there since the first year,” Mike says. “They organize everything and plan for everything. We ask people to volunteer and they take care of things like the gate, the beverage tent, and wherever people attending might need help. We hire off-duty police or deputies for security.” The volunteers all come from Greeley and the surrounding area and most have been working the same posts over the years. “It is really helpful that we can rely on these folks,” Mike says. “We ask them to work three-hour shifts, depending on the job. They get a volunteer shirt and admission. Once their shift is over they can enjoy the day and represent us well.”
The population of Greeley is said to triple during the Greeley Irish Festival, as this crowd gathered for the event can attest.
Volunteers are always needed and welcome to join us as we begin preparing for the event next year. If you would like to volunteer, please call 308-428-3925, and ask for Vicky Smith
Mass Schedule: 7 p.m. Saturday - St. Michael in Spalding│7 a.m. Sunday - St. Michael in Spalding 9 a.m. Sunday - Sacred Heart in Greeley│11 a.m. Sunday - St. Theresa in Ericson