St. Leo's Catholic Parish Community Newsletter — May 2021

St.

Leos’

Parish Community

St. Leo’s Scholarships

SUPPORT OUR YOUTH AND YOUNG ADULTS ON THEIR EDUCATIONAL JOURNEYS

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e are blessed at St. Leo’s to have a devoted group of graduating high school seniors and college students. These youth and young adults are or have been active in our parish and youth events, serving as a bold testament to our devoted families and vibrant faith community.

Nancy Bishop worked in the education field for 50 years, and she now serves on the committee to choose the recipient for the St. Leo’s annual college scholarship. She enjoys contributing her knowledge to help choose the recipient.

Recipients of the 2020 high school scholarship with Fr. “We all need to encourage the younger Don Buhrman generation to have faith in their lives,” she says. “Maybe, if we help a student or two, we will remind them that faith is an important piece.”

When deciding upon the college scholarship recipient, the committee looks at the students’ involvement at St. Leo’s or the Newman Center, commitment to their field, and involvement at their school and in the community. The recipient will be announced at Mass on May 16.

Each year, a committee also chooses three high school seniors to receive a scholarship of $1,000 to support post-secondary studies. The recipients are chosen by a three-member panel for their continued on page 5

Inside MAY 2021

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This Month, We Reflect on Mothers and Stewardship

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A Letter From Our Pastor: Hearts Singing in the Ears of God

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The 2021 National Catholic Youth Conference Celebrating Our Universal Faith as Young Catholics

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The May Crowning Celebrating the Coronation of Mary

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The Hooper Family: Savoring the Gift of Our Parish Family

Mothers and Stewardship THIS MONTH, WE REFLECT ON

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e celebrate the month of Mary during May, and during this month, we also celebrate Mother’s Day. It seems fitting that we honor our mothers during May, since Mary is given to us by God as the example of true Christian motherhood.

Those who are called to be mothers have been blessed by God and called to fulfill a very important responsibility. Mothers are the vehicle through which God brings new life into this world. When we talk about Christian stewardship, we talk about sacrificially returning to God what we have been given. What can more clearly be a demonstration of complete sacrifice than the relationship between mother and child during the nine months of growth in the womb? During these nine months, the child’s life depends on the actions of the mother as her energy and nourishment goes directly to the growing baby.

Although this relationship may change to some extent after the child is born, a mother’s sacrifice for her child is far from over after the birth. The role of the mother is critical in the 2

child’s development — both spiritually and physically — throughout life. Mothers provide the comfort, nurture and support necessary for their children to become productive citizens and responsible Christians.

The job of a mother is not an easy one. This is a fact that Mary, the mother of Jesus, knew very well. She worried when her young Son appeared to be lost, only to find Him later in His Father’s house. She was probably concerned as Jesus began His public ministry — not knowing what difficulties and rejections He would encounter along the way. And, Mary must have experienced great anguish as she watched her Son’s body being crucified to a cross.

May all mothers look to Mary as their model for motherhood and ask her intercession as they strive to fulfill their God-given role in their children’s lives. During the month of May, let us all take some time to express our appreciation to our mothers for allowing us to come into this world, for loving us, and for serving as an example of what it means to be a steward for life.

A Letter From Our Pastor

Hearts Singing

IN THE EARS OF GOD

Dear Parishioners,

“N

ot a voice, but a desire — not a clamor, but love — not instruments, but hearts singing in the ears of God.” This inscription is carved into a wooden chair, dating from 1504, recalling the “essence of prayer.” The chair is located in the Church of San Damiano in Assisi, Italy, and the inscription may be the best description out there when it comes to the stewardship “pillar of prayer.”

I know there are other descriptions, even volumes upon volumes of journals, books and studies in spirituality that define and examine prayer. But this one has stuck with me. This one is simple enough to make a great deal of sense and best describes an essential pillar of stewardship.

San Damiano is the little church where St. Francis of Assisi prayed often to know the will of God for his life. With a sincere desire and filled with the love of God, he often prayed, “Lord, what do you want me to do?” In answer to his prayers, he distinctly heard the voice of the Lord command him, “Francis, go and repair my house, which, as you can see, is falling into ruin.” Francis found his mission and an answer to his prayer. That was in the year 1206. The rest of the story is an amazing response on the part of Francis to his prayer.

Prayer is one of the essential pillars of the stewardship way of life, and one that Francis practiced following the conversion he experienced in San Damiano. He desired to love and sing the praises of God. It was in this small chapel where he composed the “Canticle of the Creatures,” a hymn of gratitude, fraternity and peace — none of which could have happened unless prayer had preceded it. To pray with “not a voice, but a

desire — not a clamor, but love — not instruments, but hearts singing in the ears of God” gave Francis the direction to live a life faithful to the Gospel. Could it not do as much for us?

The essence of prayer, however, would continue to drive our efforts at evangelizing the stewardship way of life, which uses prayer as a communication and the action of our “desire” to “love” that comes straight from the “heart.” What better way to describe our conversion in choosing to live as Christian stewards? There is something very appealing about how the prayer of the heart is a song, singing to the “ears of God.” Could or should anyone ask for more in their prayer? St. Francis got it right. St. Clare learned from him and got it right, as well. For centuries, their prayer and spirituality inspired others to live life the same way. Many have, and hopefully, many more will continue to do so.

As a parting thought, hope and prayer for this parish, may I suggest that in choosing to live as a Christian steward, we will be consistent to pray always with, “not a voice, but a desire — not a clamor, but love — not instruments, but hearts singing in the ears of God” — for it doesn’t get any better than that. God bless your “desire” and the “love” you share and your “heart singing” the song God wants to hear from each of us.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Rev. Donald A. Buhrman Pastor 3

THE 2021 NATIONALCelebratin CATHO T

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he second chapter of the Acts of the Apostles tells us of the coming of the Holy Spirit — “When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled, they were all in one place together. And suddenly there came from the sky a noise like a strong driving wind, and it filled the entire house in which they were” (Acts 2:1-2).

When this year’s National Catholic Youth Conference (NCYC) gets underway from Nov. 18 to 20 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, the conference theme of “Ablaze-Enciendo al Fuego” will serve as a reflection on these verses from Acts of the Apostles.

The National Federation for Catholic Youth Ministry hosts the NCYC every two years for teens in ninth through 12th grades, as well as adult chaperones. For the 2019 event in Indianapolis, 25,000 teens and adults were in attendance,

and we sent five youth delegates from our parish, thanks to a generous donation from the family of a deceased parishioner. The family honored the late parishioner in this way, as he had supported youth activities during his life. For this year’s event, group organizer Rita Hemmer hopes to have four to five youth attend.

“The National Catholic Youth Conference is an opportunity for our high school youth to join thousands of other young people for an experience of what the young Body of Christ is,” she says.

Rita thinks of a trip to NCYC as a pilgrimage — “a journey to a holy, sacred place to usher the pilgrim into the presence of God.” Having been to past NCYC events, Rita knows the conference is very exciting and empowering. It’s a chance to pray, make new friends and grow in faith. There are large-group

NCYC, an exciting and empowering event

NCYC, hosted every two years for teens in ninth through 12th grades

OLIC YOUTH CONFERENCE ng Our Universal Faith as Young Catholics speakers, breakout sessions, and confession.

Highlights of the event are always adoration and Mass. There are also concerts, exhibits, and an interactive thematic park. The emcees for this year’s conference are Sister Miriam James Heidland and Brian Greenfield.

Rita says this is truly a way to help our youth develop into Catholic leaders.

“Being surrounded by thousands of young people, all celebrating our Catholic faith, helps young people see that our Catholic faith is indeed universal,” Rita says.

Being just over a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, we all know plans can change. The NCYC planning groups intend to push ahead while using recommended policies for safety.

Those interested in attending the 2021 NCYC may contact Rita Hemmer at rita@saintleos.org.

St. Leo’s Scholarships involvement and contribution to our parish, community, and school. The recipients were named in March.

Patty Hooker serves on the committee to choose the high school recipients. She enjoys getting to know the students better through their applications. It means a lot to Patty to be a part of this process, as she loves helping youth get a financial

St. Leo’s NCYC parish delegates in 2019

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“jump start” on their education.

She knows that a few years down the road she’ll see some of the youth back at St. Leo’s as adults.

“Being a member of St. Leo’s since the beginning, I love to see the kids come back as adults with their own families and see how they have grown in their faith,” Patty says. “The youth are our future.”

The high school scholarship application period is open from November to January for current high school seniors. The college scholarship application is open in the spring. Applicants must be enrolled in a post-secondary institution for the following year. The applications are available at saintleos.org.

Please help spread the word to all students who may be eligible!

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THE MAY CROWNING

Celebrating the Coronation of Mary

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or many Catholics, May Crownings of statues or icons of the Blessed Mother have become rites of spring. Like flowers blooming or Mother’s Day, this annual Marian devotion reminds us that the cold of winter is behind us, and it ushers in a month during which the Catholic Church pays special homage to Mary as the Queen of Heaven and Mother of God. Generally taking place during the first weekend of the month, May Crownings bring children — often, recent First Communicants — out in their Sunday best to participate in processions and adorn statues of the Blessed Mother with crowns of flowers or actual gold crowns. Additionally, the children often place roses at her feet, and Catholics carry out similar practices in their homes by placing roses around statues of the Blessed Virgin, or even adding ornamentation to images of Mary. But where did this practice come from, and how did it develop into the tradition that we currently know and love?

The Coronation of Mary had been a popular subject in European art and literature for centuries, but the tradition of the May Crowning can be most accurately traced back to the late 16th century. Perhaps inspired by the practice of adding

ornamentation to Marian icons that had been carried out by some Eastern churches, Pope Clement VIII added two crowns to the icon of Mary with the Infant Jesus in the St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome. The crowns were eventually lost, but were replaced by Gregory XVI in 1837 in a rite that was to become the standard practice for crowning.

While the May Crowning is not an official liturgical celebration on the Church calendar, it is an important practice in honoring Mary as the Queen of the Universe, and its imagery is especially influential in the faith formation of children. As Liz Kelly writes in May Crowning, Mass, and Merton and Other Reasons I Love Being Catholic, “One of the defining aspects of being Catholic is devotion to Mary. I favor no Marian celebration more highly than May Crowning, the feast that recognizes Mary as queen of heaven and earth. To a person of any age, this is a mighty big title, but to a child of five or six or seven, it expands to enchanting, magical proportions. How many queens does one get a chance to meet in a lifetime, much less crown?”

This year, make a special effort to honor the coronation of Mary through participation in a personal or public May Crowning devotion.

BRING FLOWERS OF THE RAREST Bring flow’rs of the fairest, Bring flow’rs of the rarest, From garden and woodland And hillside and vale; Our full hearts are swelling, Our glad voices telling The praise of the loveliest Rose of the vale.

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O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today, Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May, O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today, Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May.

THE HOOPER FAMILY:

Savoring the Gift of Our Parish Family

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hen Shaun and Noelle Hooper adopted Escher about three years ago, he was not only embraced by their loving arms but those of our parish family as well.

“The adoption was expensive, so the parish community donated a lot of things towards a garage sale fundraiser in order to help us out,” Shaun says. “They announced the event at church, explaining that if anyone had anything they weren’t using, the church would be more than happy to accept donations. People gave tables, chairs, and other high-value items. We ended up raising a few thousand dollars!”

The fruit of sacrifice is joy, and Escher, now 6, is definitely a joy to have around.

“Everyone at our parish really loves Escher,” Shaun says. “He loves to sing and say prayers. In church, he sings ‘loud and proud’! You can even hear him over the priest some times, and the priest just smiles.”

Over the years, there have

The members of the Hooper family are grateful for the opportunity to give their time, talent and treasure to our parish community.

been many times that the Hoopers and their three children — including Kahlan, 17, and Inara, 15 — have experienced such wonderful fellowship at our parish.

“We like the close-knit, supportive nature of our communi-

ty, and we have a lot of friends at the parish,” Shaun says. “We appreciate how we can all work together and how much we care about each other. We pray for one another, and help each other however we can.”

They are grateful for the continued on back cover

“We really like the close-knit, supportive nature of our community, and we have a lot of friends at the parish. We appreciate how we can all work together and how much we care about each other. We pray for one another, and help each other however we can.”

— SHAUN HOOPER 7

2410 S. Blaine Street Grand Island, NE 68801 (308) 382-4753 | www.saintleos.org

THE HOOPER FAMILY continued from page 7 opportunity to give their time, talent, and treasure to our parish community, as well. Noelle sings in the choir, volunteers with the Youth Group, and helps prepare students for Confirmation.

“Noelle majored in Christian education in college, so she has enjoyed getting involved with young people again,” Shaun says.

As an active member of the Knight of Columbus, Shaun helps out with various fundraising events and outreach activities. Having been blessed by the Knights of Columbus in the past, Shaun is thankful to have a way to participate in their efforts as well.

“I joined the KCs because I enjoy helping out,”

Shaun says. “I like all of their events, and I especially like doing the Tootsie Roll Drive with my son to raise money for children with disabilities.

Years ago, the KCs donated money to help cover our travel expenses to pick up Escher from China. God has given us quite a bit, so we want to give back.”

Shaun is a computer technician and thus has offered to look at some of the computers at our parish as well.

When asked what stewardship means to them, Shaun answers simply.

“Stewardship is just what we do,” he says. “It is something natural to us, along with just being part of the community.”

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.