Midweek at Midtown 6/14
Midtown Catholic is a community of two parishes in the Archdiocese of Omaha. We are One Church: Encountering Jesus, Equipping Disciples, and Living Mercy.
Parish Director
We are in search of someone to lead our staff at Midtown Catholic. If you, or someone you know is passionate about our two communities, please direct them to the job description and posting here: careers.archomaha.org/career-view/1837/
The Chosen
We’ve had some good crowds for watching and discussing. Want to see what it is all about? Come and See! Thursdays this month, 7pm, at St. Thomas More. All ages are welcome!
Contact Dianne Heath (402-350-6399) or Rick Fanciullo (402-980-2866) for more information.
SJA Garage Sale June
8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday June 15th and Friday June 16th
9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday the 17th
Clothes, Housewares, Knick-knacks, Books,
DVDs, Jewelry, Toys, Sporting Goods.
Furniture. No Dirty or Broken Items. No large appliances,
TVs, or large desks. Small bookcases okay (2 or 3 shelves)
Sign up in the gathering area to work the event or
contact Alyssa Schulz at sjaladiesguild@gmail.com
Totus Tuus Support
What is Totus Tuus?
Totus Tuus, meaning “Totally Yours,” is a weeklong program for youth going into Grades 1 through 12. This program resembles vacation bible school, but with a very Catholic twist! The kids spend time each day learning about their faith through small group activities, skits, songs, games, Mass, prayer, and confession. And this program isn’t just led by anyone! College-age young adults and seminarians from all over the Archdiocese train to be missionaries for Totus Tuus, and they travel in groups of four (two men and two women) to parishes in the Archdiocese to lead this program. So, the kids not only get to grow closer to God through the fun activities, but they get to interact with young adults who are on fire for their faith.
Totus Tuus Last Year
Last year was my first year witnessing this program, and I’m amazed at how much it impacted our youth before my eyes. I watched young children go from scared to be there to excited to interact with the missionaries. Teens who originally didn’t want to be there came up to me after the first night and asked to volunteer with the day program. The elementary kids started getting more passionate about getting involved in Mass, particularly by sharing the songs they learned – I heard them singing these in weekend Masses weeks after the program ended. Participants of all ages took their faith to heart in the months after the program and got more involved in the parish by training to be altar servers, helping at our festivals, and joining music ministry. I even had a few high schoolers offer to help with some of the Sacrament prep retreats and events during the school year. And almost all of them asked if this program would return this year. Totus Tuus helps our children to not only grow in their love of being Catholic, but to also grow in their love for God, surrounded by peers who feel the same way.
We Need You!
I’m grateful that Midtown Catholic can host Totus Tuus again this summer. However, we can’t do this without our parishes’ support and participation! Our registrations are still wide open, so I encourage you to tell your friends and family about the program and register your own children. I promise you won’t be disappointed! You can register on the Midtown Catholic parish website by going to the “Totus Tuus” page under the youth tab.
This program is also heavily volunteer supported, as our missionaries can’t do everything on their own. While they do take care of running the activities and leading the children, they still need meals, assistants, and a place to stay. At this time, we still need one host family for the men, several lunches and dinners for the missionaries, and safe environment trained assistants for the elementary program. Please prayerfully consider helping with one or more of these opportunities. You can sign up to volunteer at this link: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c094faaae2aa0f9c34-totus#/
I hope you will consider becoming involved in this program. It is an incredible way for our youth to grow closer to God in a safe and fun environment, and I believe that it helps them see the beauty of the Eucharist and our faith for years to come. Please keep this program and those involved in your prayers, and feel free to contact me at any time if you have any questions! I hope to see you at Totus Tuus!
Eucharistic Encounter
Spirit Catholic Radio invites you to a Eucharistic Encounter June 22nd at St. Wenceslaus Church in Omaha! This Archdiocesan event will celebrate and deepen our Faith in the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. Hear from speaker Fr. Malachy Napier, CFR, and Archbishop George Lucas. Participate in adoration, eucharistic piety, dynamic teaching, and powerful sacred music. View the Vatican International Exhibition, Eucharistic Miracles of the World display created by Blessed Carlo Acutis, who was named patron of the National Eucharistic Revival initiative, and watch a video about his life. Doors will be open for Eucharistic Events from 5 – 10pm, and the Liturgical Program will take place from 6:45 – 9pm. The event is free, and registration is not needed. Visit spiritcatholicradio.com/encounter for details.
Mrs. Tamyra Hower Honored
Congratulations to our parishoner and teacher Tamyra Hower from St. Thomas More! She will be honored as one of the educators of the year at the Archbishop’s Dinner for Education on September 21. The Dinner is an Archdiocese of Omaha tradition that celebrates outstanding Catholic school educators and administrators, as well as raises scholarship dollars for tuition assistance. You’re invited to attend! Learn more about the event and the honorees at https://archomaha.org/dinnerforeducation
Saint Quote
“The creator of the heavens obeys a carpenter; the God of eternal glory listens to a poor virgin. Has anyone ever witnessed anything comparable to this? Let the philosopher no longer disdain from listening to the common laborer; the wise, to the simple; the educated, to the illiterate; a child of a prince, to a peasant.”– St. Anthony of Padua, Feast June 13th
Miss part of Father’s homily? Sign up for Fr. Jindra’s podcast: Father Frank’s Think Tank (buzzsprout.com)