SUMMER OFFERS OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW IN FAITH AND ENGAGE IN PARISH LIFE

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!”