St.
Leos’
Parish Community
Inside
SEPTEMBER 2021
AN INSIDE LOOK AT THE
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS
Living the Faith and Serving the Parish Community
C
harity, unity, fraternity, and patriotism are the four guiding principles of the Knights of Columbus. Everything that our St. Leo’s Knights do falls into one of these categories. Greg Hamik is currently serving as Grand Knight and has been a Knight since 2003. Greg’s father was also a Knight; and, as time went on, he realized he should get involved, as well. He feels very blessed in his life, and the Knights of Columbus is one way he can give back. “There is always a need,” Greg says. “I feel the Holy Spirit beckons me to answer the call.” The St. Leo’s Knights meet on Monday nights, once a month, for about an hour. Knights gather for highway cleanup They host and help with several events — just one of the organization’s throughout the year, including pancake many volunteer projects. breakfasts, Coats for Kids, the Tootsie Roll Drive, State Fair Bingo, the Central Catholic Food Stand during Husker Harvest Days, and highway cleanup. The Knights will also step up to help in a parishioner’s home — for example, if the person has recently lost a spouse. The Knights are just there to help when it’s needed. “It’s a rewarding experience volunteering your time to help others,” Greg says. “Your relationship with Christ will grow naturally when you give. But continued on back cover
2 3
Jail Ministry: Ensuring The Good News is Truly Shared With All The Days May Be Long, But the Years Are Short
4 Questions and Answers About Our Annual Stewardship Renewal 6 A Look Back at an Action-Packed Summer for St. Leo’s Parish Youth
JAIL MINISTRY:
Ensuring the Good News is Truly Shared With All
A
s Christians, we are called to spread the Good News to all, even in places where people seem to be forgotten, such as jails and correctional facilities. We might not immediately think about sharing our faith with our brothers and sisters who are incarcerated. Yet, a committed group at St. Leo’s takes the time to visit men and women incarcerated in the Hall County Correctional Facility and provide a Bible study. St. Leo’s volunteers work with St. Mary’s volunteers to offer three groups — a women’s group, and men’s groups for English- and Spanish-language speakers. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic has put a stop to this work. Still, volunteers hope they can get started again soon. Richard Hoffman helped get the Englishlanguage men’s group started about three years prior to the pandemic and serves as co-leader along with William Kusek. The women’s and Spanish-language groups had been going on for several years. “The goal is to give some hope to those who come,” Richard says. “We want to show them that someone in the world cares for them.” The time is usually spent in group discussion, often related to the Sunday readings. The goal is to stimulate discussion among those who attend. “Often, in the men’s group, we could get them talking,” Richard says. “Many of them are remorseful for what they’ve done. It’s nice to give them some contact with the outside world.” While Richard can’t necessarily quantify the impact that this ministry has had, he knows that it’s important work for him to do, as a Christian. “Doing this work is the message from Jesus Christ, but some people get easily forgotten,” Richard says. “Jail is a primary place where the
(From left) Ministry leaders William Kusek, Chris Wissing and Richard Hoffmann. Chris leads the women’s prison ministry; William and Richard co-lead the men’s prison ministry for English-speaking prisoners.
people are often forgotten.” Richard’s interest in this ministry was piqued because his wife, Marilyn, would come home from ministering to the women’s group with such excitement. In turn, Richard felt he was being called to get involved. He admits this ministry has taken him outside of his comfort zone, but he’s never felt scared for his safety while at the facility. “You just do the Lord’s work and hope you are having an impact,” he says. Richard takes his example from Pope Francis, who is known to visit jails and prisons. “If the Pope can do this, I can too,” he says.
If you would like to get involved in this wonderful ministry of mercy and compassion, please contact Richard Hoffman at 813-784-7541 or hofflutz4@charter.net. 2
A Letter From Our Pastor
THE DAYS MAY BE LONG, BUT THE YEARS ARE SHORT Dear Parishioners,
I
t is hard to believe that September is upon us. I have always heard that time seems to go faster when you get older — I also feel that sometimes the days are long, but the years are short. Didn’t summer just begin? Now we are looking at fall and, before we know it, Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here. There is a common theory that time speeds up as you get older. But what about the children who are heading back to school? I’ll bet most of them think the summer was way too short and flew by in a nanosecond. Perhaps time goes fast for all of us, regardless of our age, especially when we are enjoying ourselves. It fits with the adage, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” Fun was part of my childhood. It does not always seem to be part of my adult life. However, if I look at life from a stewardship perspective, “fun” does not seem to be out of reach. Stewardship is a very positive way of living because it focuses on gifts and thanksgiving. Stewardship asks us to look at life from what we have, not from what we do not have. Some of the happiest people I know are those who practice stewardship and live it out in their daily lives. Yes, they bear crosses, and yes, their lives are not perfect, nor are they perfect people. Nevertheless, they say “thank you” often, and they say it, especially to God. We all recognize that January is when our new year starts because we get a new calendar. Nevertheless, September seems like the beginning of a new year in many ways. Schools have restarted, vacations are over, and even our
ministries seem to pick up and become more active. Perhaps now is the time we should really make those resolutions. I would ask you to think in terms of stewardship resolutions. Many of you are already very involved in parish life. I would invite you to resolve to find the time to pray, or perhaps to just listen. God does talk to us, but often we simply do not listen. If you already do set time aside for individual prayer, decide to also take part in some of our community prayer opportunities. If you are someone who does not attend Mass regularly, make your mind up to come to Mass more frequently. If you are someone who usually attends Mass but you are not involved in one of our many parish ministries, give of yourself in that way. I am not talking about a total change of life, but I am talking about dedicating yourself further to something that concerns your faith. Throughout the Bible, people encounter Jesus and walk away completely changed individuals. That is what my challenge to you is. Meet the Lord halfway; give Him a chance to lead and guide you; try to take another step in your faith and stewardship journey. You, too, can have the happiness of the good and just steward. Now that could be fun. St. Pope John Paul II said it very well: “The future starts today, not tomorrow.” Sincerely yours in Christ,
Rev. Donald A. Buhrman Pastor 3
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT
O
nce again, it’s time for our Annual Stewardship Renewal. Every year, someone asks, as you may have asked yourself, “Didn’t we just have a Stewardship Renewal? Aren’t we sufficiently ‘renewed’ by now?” Yes, we had a Stewardship Renewal last year, and we’re going to have one next year, too! This is an annual occurrence – part of the rhythm of parish life at St. Leo’s. Just as the Church proposes a time of spiritual renewal each Lent, we believe in the importance of a yearly examination of commitment. Is the Lord asking you to give more time, talent, or treasure to our parish this year? The following Q&A about our Stewardship Renewal should help you discern your commitments to St. Leo’s this year.
Commitment Weekend is September 18-19. Don’t forget to bring your Commitment Card to Mass! I feel like my life is already too full with family obligations and work obligations. I barely even have time to relax. How can I possibly share my time and talents with St. Leo’s? We all have many obligations to our families, jobs, schools, and other endeavors. But we also all have the same number of hours in the day with which to accomplish these things. The issue is not how much time we have, but how we prioritize that time. Before you fill out your Commitment Card, take some time to reflect on your priorities, and where God fits into your day-to-day life. Remember, living as true stewards of God’s gifts involves giving back the first fruits of what He has given to us in thanksgiving, not the “leftovers.” 4
I am happy with my current level of parish participation. Why do I need to keep filling out a Commitment Card every year? As part of the renewal process, it is important that we consider our current level of participation in parish life at St. Leo’s. Sometimes, the call to stewardship involves the quality of service in addition to its quantity. In looking through the opportunities for ministry available at the parish, you may find yourself drawn to a new ministry you haven’t tried before or new ways to share of your time with God to enrich and enlighten your prayer life. So, even though your current level of parish participation might not change drastically, the ways in which you participate may evolve as you grow in living the stewardship way of life. Even if you end up continuing to participate in the exact same ministries as you have in the past, marking and turning in a Commitment Card means you have reviewed your present ministries and recommitted yourself to them. I’m not very active in the Church and, frankly, feel like it may be too late to get involved. Why should I fill out a Commitment Card? It’s never too late to renew your faith life, and filling out a Commitment Card is a simple step through which you can immediately re-enter the life of the parish. Our parish community is not here to judge you but to welcome and nourish you in your faith journey. Begin by checking the box that says, “Attend weekly Mass and Holy Days of Obligation,” and take some time to discern additional ways in which God is calling you from that starting point. I’m physically unable to attend Mass or be active in parish life at St. Leo’s. Is there any reason for me to submit a Commitment Card? Of course! Your prayers are just as important to the success of our parish community in carrying out its mission as are ministry participation and financial contributions. Take a moment to look over some
OUR
Annual Stewardship Renewal
of the opportunities to spend quiet time with God listed in the “Stewardship of Time” section of the Commitment Card, and take a step towards growing in your relationship with Christ and His Church. I’m reluctant to make a financial pledge for the year in case my circumstances change and I’m unable to fulfill it. Should I? Your Commitment Card is not a legally binding contract; it is a pledge of intentions. Make your pledge based on what you are setting out to do to give back to God, and do your best to fulfill that pledge. If your financial circumstances change, your gift will likely change, as well; but it is still important to prioritize God first. Nobody is going to send the bill collector to your house if you can’t fulfill your pledge due to a change in your financial situation! But we’ve all got to start somewhere, and it’s important that we begin our commitment by writing down our goals for giving back our gifts to God. I’ve expressed interest in a ministry in the past by filling out a Commitment Card, but nobody from the parish ever followed up with me about it. While we do our best to consistently follow up with everyone who has shown interest in the opportunities for ministry at St. Leo’s, we are human, and we sometimes fall short in our follow-up. If this has happened to you in the past, we sincerely apologize, and we encourage you to renew your interest in any activities in which you might like to participate by filling out a Commitment Card this year. Every year, we go into the renewal with every intention of making sure that everyone who has expressed interest is contacted with more information, and we will do so again this year. I don’t agree with everything that goes on at St. Leo’s. I feel like when I fill out a Commitment Card, it condones the things I disagree with. In filling out a Commitment Card, you are not
Every parish family receives a special “Stewardship Package” in the mail that further explains our parish’s vision of stewardship. It includes a booklet that describes every ministry in the parish, as well as your Commitment Card.
making a pledge between yourself and St. Leo’s; you are making a pledge between yourself and God. Disagreements occur in life. This is a part of being human, and we respect the opinions of each and every member of our parish family. But it is of utmost importance that each of us fulfills our discipleship of Christ by growing in our relationship with Him and utilizing the gifts He has given us to carry out His mission on Earth, regardless of disagreements or misunderstandings. Beyond helping the parish, filling out a Commitment Card expresses a devotion to spiritual growth and a strong belief in the Catholic faith. 5
A LOOK BACK AT AN
ACTION-PACKED
From a mission trip to Michigan to the M.A.D. (Make a Difference) Camp to a successful week of Totus Tuus, the youth of St. Leo’s made the most of their summer as they grew closer to Christ and each other through active discipleship. Thank you to all the youth who took part in these activities and service projects and also to all the volunteers and parish staff who helped make it all possible.
M.A.D. Campers (Make A Difference) with the Grand Island Special Olympian softball team
During St. Leo’s 2021 Mission Trip, Team One showed off their painting skills at the Living Waters Camp outside of Montague, Mich. They helped spruce up the campground, including painting this concession stand. 6
The St. Leo’s Totus Tuus team helped our young people understand and experience the celebration of the Mass in a dynamic way. This included empowering the children to proclaim the Word of God as lectors.
SUMMER FOR ST. LEO’S PARISH YOUTH
During St. Leo’s 2021 Mission Trip, Team Two served at Community Compass, an organization that helps those in need in Muskegon, Mich. The team spent time painting, rebuilding cubicles, and putting in this new floor.
M.A.D. Campers (Make A Difference) spent time loving on the dogs at the Central Nebraska Humane Society this past July.
Almost 60 young people from all the parishes in Grand Island and Doniphan experienced a week of Totus Tuus at St. Leo’s this summer. 7
2410 S. Blaine Street Grand Island, NE 68801 (308) 382-4753 | www.saintleos.org
KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS ultimately, it’s not about us — all the glory to God.” All Knights of Columbus councils typically support organizations helping those with special needs and pro-life clinics. Greg has chaired the Tootsie Roll Drive for many years. The money raised goes to local organizations that work with individuals with special needs. There are 56 two-hour shifts during the drive, which takes place at Hy-Vee and Walmart in Grand Island. There are also several local fundraisers to help purchase ultrasound machines for pro-life clinics. “Even if we can help an organization with a small amount of funding, they appreciate and are thankful for it,” Greg says. “Every little bit helps.” Getting involved with the Knights is also a fantastic way to get to know other men of the parish. Men don’t always have an opportunity to share the
continued from front cover faith — so, the Knights offer numerous opportunities to socialize and serve our Lord and the parish. In particular, Greg enjoys everything from “flipping pancakes to doing a very physical landscaping job for the church.” Greg also recalls a very hot day where the Knights gathered to do some landscaping at St. Leo’s. Even though it was uncomfortable, the men worked hard with smiles on their faces and positive attitudes to get the job done. Greg invites other men of the parish to consider joining the Knights of Columbus at St. Leo’s. It’s a wonderful way to grow in faith while serving our Lord and sharing in fellowship with other men. “We appreciate all of our Knights,” Greg says. “Many men have put in their time or are very busy in their own lives. It’s a blessing to be able to help where you can.”
If you would like to learn more about the St. Leo’s Knights of Columbus, please contact Greg Hamik at ghamik@charter.net.
LITURGY SCHEDULE 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.