MEET PARISHIONER CHRIS MEHRING
Embracing the Joys of Fatherhood and Setting a Strong Example of Faith
Sometimes, Father’s Day doesn’t seem to get the attention it deserves. So, let’s use this Father’s Day to celebrate the dads in our lives, both living and those who are no longer with us. Dads certainly shouldn’t take second fiddle — they often lay the foundation of a life of faith for children.
Chris Mehring has been a member at St. Leo’s his whole life. He has two children — Taylor, 26, and Thomas, 15. To Chris, being a father is the greatest gift of all. He’s thankful each day that God has allowed him to raise his two boys in the faith, and he has enjoyed watching them grow.
“I’ve been blessed by God with His trust to raise my boys
For Chris Mehring, fatherhood is the greatest gift of all. He’s thankful each day that God has allowed him to raise his two boys in the faith, and he has enjoyed watching them grow.
JUNE 2023
2 Stewardship Giving During the Summer Season
3 A Letter From Our Pastor
4 Celebrating the Sacrament of Confirmation
An Essential Step in a Young Catholic’s Faith Journey
6 Summer Offers Opportunities to Grow in Faith and Engage in Parish Life
7 The Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Celebrating Christ’s Divine Love and Unwavering Compassion
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Stewardship
GIVING DURING THE SUMMER SEASON
“We’ve stopped delivery of the newspaper and mail. We’ve taken the dog to the kennel. The iron is unplugged, and the stove is turned off. Is there anything else we need to do before we leave on vacation?”
Aren’t you forgetting something? Did you remember to write a check to your parish for the Sundays you’ll be gone?
“But I won’t be at Mass at home those Sundays. Can’t I skip those envelopes when I’m away? After all, I’ll put a dollar or two, or maybe even five, in the collection at the church where we visit. Isn’t that enough?”
Many Americans, whether we have school-age children at home or not, operate on an academic calendar. We assume our organizations operate September through May and then take it easy during June, July, and August. And to some extent, many parish activities do function on such a schedule. Our parish may not hold Religious Education classes during the summer. Our choirs frequently take a break. Even many of the parish staff members take summer vacations! Can’t our giving take a vacation during the summer, too?
Even as we form the question in our minds, we know the answer. The prime reason for keeping up our pledge all summer long is that God doesn’t go on vacation. He continues to sustain us throughout the summer months. He persists in pouring out blessings on us, even during the hottest weather. He keeps on meeting us in His sacramental presence when we go to Mass wherever we travel. As God remains faithful to us during the summer, we are called to be faithful in our commitments to Him and our parish family, even during our vacation time.
God’s steadfastness in giving to us is the primary reason for us to respond by being faithful in our stewardship toward Him. But there is also a practical reason why we need to keep up our pledges of time, talent, and treasure throughout the summer — the Church needs our
involvement year-round.
Even though some parish activities are reduced during the summer months, the parish’s expenses are not. After all, there are still Sunday Masses and weekday Masses, too. The parish staff members still need their salaries. And of course, we need to run the air conditioning in our church during the hot summer months. Despite the fact that some parish functions are suspended, other activities may take place, such as Vacation Bible School. And although the regular parish Religious Education program may be suspended, the summer expenses are often the highest, as textbooks and other supplies are bought for the upcoming school year. Our parish has to pay its bills on a year-round basis, just like your family.
Our parish plans a budget for the year, taking into account the commitments that you, the members, have made. If parishioners do not live out their financial commitments to the parish, the budget will not balance.
Our giving needs to be maintained throughout the summer, just as God maintains His generosity to us. Our stewardship is a response to God’s gifts. And God pours out His gifts and His grace upon us all year long.
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A Letter From Our Pastor
Remember to KEEP THE FAITH this Summer
Dear Parishioners,
Aswe enter the month of June and kick off our summer, I want to take a moment to reflect on the importance of stewardship in our daily lives as Catholics.
Stewardship is a way of life that calls us to recognize that everything we have is a gift from God, and that we are called to use these gifts for the good of others and the building up of God’s kingdom. Here are a few ways in which we can live out stewardship in the month of June:
• Practice gratitude: Take time each day to thank God for the blessings in your life, both big and small. A grateful heart is essential to living a life of stewardship, as it helps us to recognize the gifts that God has given us and to use them for the good of others.
• Give generously: Whether it’s donating to a local charity, volunteering at a soup kitchen, or simply offering a kind word to a neighbor, there are countless ways to give of ourselves to others. Consider making a financial donation to our parish or to a local charity that is doing good work in our community.
• Pray for others: Stewardship is not just about giving of our material resources, but also about giving of our time and talent. Take time each day to pray for the needs of others, whether it’s for the sick, the poor, or those who are struggling in their faith.
• Share your talents: We are all blessed with unique gifts and talents that we can use to serve others. Consider volunteering to teach a religious education class, joining the choir, or using your professional skills to help those in need.
• Be a good steward of the environment: God has entrusted us with the care of His creation, and it is our responsibility to be good stewards of the environment. Consider ways in which you can reduce your carbon footprint, recycle more, or conserve resources.
As we continue to navigate the challenges of our world, let us remember that we are called to be faithful stewards of the gifts and talents that God has given us. By living out stewardship in our daily lives, we can make a difference in the world and build up the kingdom of God.
May God bless you and your families abundantly this month, this summer, and always.
Sincerely yours in Christ,
Rev. Donald A. Buhrman Pastor
CELEBRATING THE SACRAMENT OFConfirmation
“Be sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit” — the celebrant speaks these words at Confirmation while signing the confirmand’s head with chrism, an oil also used at Baptism. This is one of three Sacraments of Initiation. According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist “lay the foundations of every Christian life.”
Rita Hemmer, Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry leads the Confirmation program at St. Leo’s. The 10th and 11th-grade classes are combined for the sacrament, so the next preparation class will be held in the 2024-2025 school year for sophomores and juniors. Confirmation is traditionally held in August.
“During the Confirmation preparation program, a faith community develops,” Rita says. “Combining the classes helps this development and enhances our intensive large and small-group activities.”
When young adults commit to the Confirmation preparation program, they become
candidates for Confirmation.
“We have preparation sessions that the candidates attend, and it is more than just learning,” Rita says. “It is about experiencing and growing in faith.”
The preparation sessions are held on specific Sunday evenings from September to April, with a break for December and the summer. They gather for a Confirmation retreat in early August.
Candidates choose a saint and a sponsor. The sponsor serves as a mentor and should be a Catholic adult that the candidate knows well and is comfortable talking with. This person presents the candidate to the bishop or celebrant at Confirmation.
“The sponsor should be a person that actively and morally lives their faith,” Rita says.
As Rita emphasizes, Confirmation is an essential step
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The 2022 Confirmation class celebrates reception of the sacrament. The next preparation class will be held in the 2024-2025 school year for sophomores and juniors. Confirmation is traditionally held in August.
“During the Confirmation preparation program, a faith community develops. Combining the classes helps this development and enhances our intensive large and small-group activities.”
— Rita Hemmer, Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry
An Essential Step in a Young Catholic’s Faith Journey
in a candidate’s faith journey. It shouldn’t be something they do “because they have to.” She points to a passage from the Rite of Confirmation that outlines this important faith step: “The initiation in the Christian life is completed so that believers are strengthened by the power from heaven, made true witnesses of Christ in word and deed, and bound more closely to the church.”
Preparing for Confirmation is like being on junior varsity
in the faith, she says.
“At the Sacrament of Confirmation, you receive the grace to move up to the ‘varsity team,’” Rita says. “The benefits are too many to mention here. That is why we prepare for this part of your faith journey.”
Rita enjoys walking with the
candidates as they prepare to receive this important sacrament.
“I enjoy it because we can have deeper faith conversations and explore deeper concepts of our faith,” she says.
Adult leaders are needed to walk with the candidates through this process.
MEET PARISHIONER CHRIS MEHRING continued from
in His church and faith,” Chris says. “I love being a role model/teacher/advisor and being there for them through thick and thin. It’s truly been a blessing and a dream come true for me.”
In the future, Chris plans to get involved in some ministries at St. Leo’s. For now, he models being a good steward by serving as a positive role model to Taylor and Thomas — leading them to the Catholic faith has been a big part of this. He hopes to see them continue with the faith with their own children and families someday.
Chris values his Catholic faith — put simply, he loves Jesus.
“I hope that someday when I pass away, I’ll get to go to heaven to be with Him,” says Chris.
Admittedly, life hasn’t always been easy for Chris. He believes that God gives us opportunities each day to do right or wrong, as well as to grow and learn.
“If I struggle with the opportunity at hand,
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I always ask myself, ‘What would Jesus do?’” Chris says. “I, like so many of us, have had my challenges, and through prayer to God and Jesus, I’ve always been given the strength to overcome them.”
Chris offers some advice for fathers who may be struggling with sharing their faith.
“If you’re at a crossroads with your children, you can come together over the power of Jesus and prayers,” he says.
In addition, Chris has found that faith has brought the three of them closer together.
“I am a role model to them, so when they see how important my faith is to me, I can see the foundation set for a great relationship with Christ,” Chris says.
In his free time, Chris enjoys spending time with his sons and creating memories. They love Husker sports, playing sports, fairs, carnivals, and motorsports. Chris also enjoys watching movies.
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Confirmation
For more information on Confirmation or serving as a leader, contact Rita Hemmer, Director of Youth and Young Adult Ministry at rita@saintleos.org.
SUMMER OFFERS OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW IN FAITH AND ENGAGE IN PARISH LIFE
“We Continue to Celebrate the Glory of God”
As the gentle spring gives way to the hot summer, we see that our day-to-day lives change a bit. Routines of the school year give way to a variety of activities, sports, and camps. Vacations are planned — whether traveling or camping, heading to the lake, or spending time on the water. Any number of activities may take the place of the schedules we normally keep during the fall, winter, and spring. But as we step out of our usual routines, it is easy to push aside our regular times that we have for prayer and church activities.
“There is a natural tendency that once graduation hits and summer activities start, the population at Mass decreases,” Fr. Don says. “But so many of our parish ministries and activities don’t just go to sleep for the summer! Our active parish has many things going on through the whole summer.”
The year, the summer season kicks off with our big celebration of our parish’s 50th Anniversary the weekend of June 2-4. Events include a wine and cheese party for the charter families of the parish on Friday night. Saturday events include a special Mass with Bishop Golka of the Diocese of Colorado Springs as well as our very own Bishop Hanefeldt at the Pinnacle Bank Expo Center in Grand Island. Mass is followed by a banquet and program about the history of the parish with kids' activities included. The 50th Anniversary Four-Person Golf Scramble at Indianhead Golf Course will take place on Sunday. We highly encourage all of our parishioners to join us for these events as we joyfully celebrate this major milestone for our parish.
The children’s schedules will certainly be packed, so don’t forget about the great events we have for them this summer. Some of these events include Vacation Bible School, MAD Camp, Youth Ministry events, and the Youth Mission Trip to Champaign, Ill.
“The church continues to have its regular daily Mass and scheduled Reconciliation,” Fr. Don says. “We also celebrate the marriages, Baptisms, and the funerals of the community. We continue to pray as a community and celebrate the Glory of God.”
As our calendars fill up quickly, let us continue to remember that each family is a domestic church and the best way to strengthen our own domestic churches is to stay rooted in and connected to our local parish and the church universal.
“We live the faith year-round,” Fr. Don says. “We received new life at Easter, let us continue to share that throughout the whole year!”
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“We live the faith year-round. We received new life at Easter, let us continue to share that throughout the whole year!” — Fr. Don
THE FEAST OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
Celebrating Christ’s Divine Love and Unwavering Compassion
The Sacred Heart of Jesus is probably the most widely recognized representation of Christ’s divine love and unwavering compassion for all of humanity. Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus has been practiced for centuries, and this devotion continues to play an important role in today’s Catholic faith. As we celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on June 16, we have a wonderful opportunity to learn more about this essential Catholic devotion and its role in Church history.
Devotion to the Sacred Heart extends as far back as the 11th or 12th centuries. While there are no definitive texts or histories that verify initial devotees, it is understood that the devotion grew out of the Benedictine and Cistercian monasteries of the time. By the 16th century, documented devotional prayers and exercises had been formulated, and the ascetic writers began making more extensive reference to the Sacred Heart. But it was not until the 17th century that devotion to the Sacred Heart moved beyond being practiced on a private, individual basis. St. Jean Eudes established the first feast of the Sacred Heart, and this was shared with devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It was then that the devotional feast of the Sacred Heart began to spread to other dioceses and religious communities.
However, the devotion as we know and understand it today largely stems from the visions of Jesus Christ to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque. While these visions were numerous, the most
remarkable revelation, known as “the great apparition,” occurred during the octave of Corpus Christi in 1675. As Jesus said to Margaret Mary, “Behold the Heart that has so loved men... instead of gratitude I receive from the greater part (of mankind) only ingratitude.”
Reporting her vision to Fr. Claude de la Colombière, Margaret Mary was then directed to write an account of the apparition. Despite her initial reluctance to do so, as well as her misgivings upon its completion, this written account would soon be published and widely read among both clergy and laymen, thus playing an instrumental role in spreading the devotion to the Sacred Heart
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Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus has been practiced for centuries, and this devotion continues to play an important role in today’s Catholic faith. As we celebrate the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, we have a wonderful opportunity to learn more about this essential Catholic devotion and its role in Church history.
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THE FEAST OF THE SACRED HEART OF JESUS
of Jesus. Another book, The Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, was written by Jesuit Father Croiset after Jesus told Margaret Mary to have Fr. Croiset write it. Following Margaret Mary’s death in 1690, Fr. Croiset would compose a short biography of her life that was amended to his book, which served to further increase interest and practice of the devotion.
Over the course of the next century, devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus would continue to spread. By the latter half of the 18th century, a Mass of the Sacred Heart was given papal approval for Poland and Portugal, followed two decades later by Venice, Austria, and Spain. Then, in 1856, the Feast of the Sacred Heart was officially established by Pope Pius IX.
While the specific readings and exercises for the feast day have been changed and replaced over the years, the basic tenets that extend back to the visions of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque remain the same — the acknowledgment of and devotion to Christ’s unending compassion and love for all of us.
LITURGY SCHEDULE
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2410 S. Blaine Street
Grand Island, NE 68801
Daily Mass: 9 a.m., Saturday: 5 p.m., Sunday: 8 a.m. & 10:30 a.m. Confession: Saturday 4 - 4:30 p.m. Adoration: First Friday of the Month, 9:30 a.m. - 1 p.m. Abide Adoration: Fourth Sunday of the Month, 7 - 8 p.m.
