Walk for Faith and Pro-Life Conference

I recently attended two really great events: the Walk for Faith and the Nebraska Pro-Life Conference.

I was only able to attend the beginning of the penitential walk but I wish I could’ve stayed for the whole thing. It was mighty cold, but the scenery, peacefulness and prayerfulness were amazing.

The 5.4-mile walk began at 8:30 a.m. at the 4-H camp near Schramm Park, and included repetitive prayers throughout - The Creed, Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be, Stations of the Cross, Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary and petitions. It concluded at the Holy Family Shrine near Gretna with confessions and noon Mass. Each participant offered a private intention for the walk.

About 60 pilgrims participate in the Walk of Faith Oct. 19 near Gretna. 

Those who participated in the walk, confession and Mass also received a plenary indulgence because the shrine is a designated site for plenary indulgence during the Year of Faith.

Father Jim Buckley, pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Omaha, coordinated and led the walk. He said he participated in a similar walk in Ireland and thought it was “very effective spiritually,” and wanted to bring it home to the Archdiocese of Omaha.

Many times during the walk, participants prayed, “I will attempt day by day to break my will into little pieces. I want to do God’s holy will, not my own.” Father Buckley said this was the purpose of the walk – to strengthen your will to do good things you don’t want to do.

Angie Krejci of St. Joseph Parish in Springfield came to the walk with her husband and five children because they wanted to participate in this “unique opportunity.”

“We live in this area. We love to hike and it’s beautiful out here, so when we heard about it, we wanted to be a part of it,” she said. “I think it’s good for our kids to see us doing this together. Sometimes we do fun things as a family at the park or the zoo, but this was something that we could do together that was part of our faith.”

Father Buckley said he hopes to hold this walk again next year. If he does, I want to participate in the whole thing.

Pro-Life Conference

Titled “Life, Dignity and Disability: A Faith that Welcomes,” this year’s pro-life conference, which took place at Ramada Plaza Omaha, featured speakers and topics that focused on disabilities.

I arrived just before Father Shenan Boquet, president of Human Life International, gave the first talk of the day, which centered on the dignity of the human person. He said our culture needs a “re-introduction to Jesus,” who shows us the path of life by his actions – of accepting all people no matter their state in life.

He said we live in a society fabricated by the culture of death and we need to be humble yet bold in our proclamation of the Good News of Jesus Christ, especially when it comes to abortion, euthanasia and other sins against life.

Nathaniel Cunningham, a member of St. Teresa Parish in Lincoln, said he came to the conference this year to hear Father Boquet and the other speakers, including Peter Kreeft, a philosopher from Boston College, and Jeff and Sarah Schinstock, his friends from Lincoln.

Sarah and Jeff Schinstock of Lincoln share their story of raising a child with disabilities
at the Nebraska Pro-Life Conference Oct. 19 at Ramada Plaza Omaha.

I attended the Schinstocks’ breakout session on parenting a child with a disability and was moved by their honesty and deep faith. The couple spoke candidly about their relationship with their oldest daughter, Regina, who has severe autism – and the joys and challenges of raising a child with special needs.

“As Catholic Christians we have to recognize the dignity of every single soul, of every person created by God, and see them the way God sees them,” Sarah said. “It’s such a beautiful message to bring to the culture, which is such a culture of death, and to show them the beauty and the joy that these incredible gifts from God bring to our lives, especially our Regina, helping us to be less selfish and less prideful and grow in virtue.”

The annual pro-life conference is never a disappointment and I would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to learn more about the dignity of the human person, relevant issues related to life and practical ways to fight the culture of death.

I just hope the conference and the walk won’t again be on the same day.

Blogged by Lisa Maxson, Senior Writer/Reporter