St. Paul Street Evangelization

St. Paul Street Evangelists Harold Blake, center, and Amber
Vinton speak with Josh Ferdico of Omaha Aug. 16 at
Lincoln's Haymarket Farmer's Market.
Photo by Lisa Maxson

Joe Keaschall arrived last Saturday, Aug. 16, at 9 a.m. at the Lincoln Haymarket Farmer’s Market not to shop or browse the booths, but to help spread God’s love.

He and three other members of Lincoln’s newly formed St. Paul Street Evangelization team stood near a street performer on the corner of 8th and P, ready to engage in conversation with passers-by about Jesus Christ and the Catholic Church.

It’s something they’ve done every Saturday since the Farmer’s Market opened in May, and they’ll continue to do so this fall before Nebraska Cornhusker football games.

“The church has so much to offer and why not go out and share it with people,” Joe, a research scientist and member of St. Mary Parish in Denton, told Spirit Catholic Radio’s Lisa Maxson. “If you really love your faith, you need to share it, you need to share your love.”

The team’s interaction with others is non-confrontational and friendly. Oftentimes it begins by offering someone a rosary or Miraculous Medal or asking people what they think of Pope Francis, Joe said.

“Being out here isn’t something that comes natural to me, but I think if you pray about it and try not to do too much yourself and let the Holy Spirit work through you, it seems to work out,” he said.

On this particular morning, there are few personal encounters, but that doesn’t mean the seed of the Catholic faith isn’t being planted when people see them or the A-frame signs nearby that have pictures of Mary, Jesus or Pope Francis on them, said Wayne Ringer, founder of the local team and also a member of St. Mary Parish in Denton.

Joe Keaschall, right, and Wayne Ringer,
center, both St. Paul Street Evangelists,
talk with Patrick Tines of Lincoln
Aug. 16 at Lincoln's Haymarket Farmer's
Market.
Photo by Lisa Maxson

“You never know how the Holy Spirit works,” he said. “Think of how a company sells a product. They know they have to put their product in front of you 20 times before you’re going to buy it. So we may be the 12th time, the first time or the 20th time someone hears about Jesus or the Catholic Church. But it’s important to be that time because they all add up.”

This spring, Wayne learned about St. Paul Street Evangelization, which started in Michigan in 2012, through Facebook, and it reminded him of hearing Pope John Paul II’s call during World Youth Day in 1993 to evangelize on street corners and from the rooftops.

After talking with his pastor, Msgr. Mark Huber, and getting approval from Bishop James Conley, Wayne began recruiting members – many of them friends through the Denton parish and the Regnum Christi movement.

Currently there are more than 100 St. Paul Street Evangelization teams across the country. The Lincoln team has 12 active street evangelists and 30 more people committed to praying a weekly Holy Hour for the apostolate. Street evangelists also commit to a weekly Holy Hour.

The national apostolate provides on-line training resources, but anyone can become a street evangelist, said Wayne, owner of Ringer Roofing and Skylight in Lincoln. All Christians are called to evangelize because of their baptism and confirmation, he said.

“The best way to learn something is to teach it, so when you have to come up with answers or find the answers to questions, that helps you to internalize it and it helps you to spread your faith outside the parameters of this apostolate,” he said.

Mary Ringer kneels to talk with passers-by during Lincoln's
Haymarket Farmer's Market.
Courtesy photo

Amber Vinton, a stay-a-home mother of eight and member of St. Mary Parish in Denton, said being a street evangelist, making a weekly Holy Hour and talking openly with others about the Catholic faith have had positive impacts on her own faith.

“Just pausing in your life and taking the time to spend an hour in prayer in a quiet place is amazing what it can do to your spiritual life,” she said. “And conversing with people about God and how much he loves them makes you realize how much he loves you, too.”

Howard Blake, a member of the local team and of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Lincoln, became Catholic in 1997, and said he wants to share the joy he has found through the Catholic Church with others.

“I just want to bring as many people into the church as I can and maybe answer some questions people have,” he said.

Wayne’s wife, Mary, who wasn’t at the Haymarket last Saturday, said in an email to Spirit Catholic Radio that she initially thought an evangelist was someone who knew his or her Catholic faith really well and could quote Bible verses on the spot.

The St. Paul Street Evangelists hand out
rosaries, pamphlets, holy cards and
Miraculous Medals.

But that’s not entirely true, she said.

“People are more moved by my personal relationship with Christ and how he shows his love for me – the very love he wants to give to them if they open their hearts to him,” Mary said.

Wayne said he encourages lay people to get involved in the St. Paul Street Evangelization team in one of three ways – either as a street evangelist, prayer warrior or financial supporter.

As a street evangelist, one receives on-line training and commits to going out with another evangelist at least once a month and praying a weekly Holy Hour for the apostolate. Prayer warriors commit to praying the Evangelist’s Prayer every day and making a weekly Holy Hour. And because rosaries, literature, CDs, holy cards and other materials distributed on the street cost money, financial assistance is needed, Wayne said.

“We have a small group now, but we hope to grow,” he said.

The team will have an orientation gathering Saturday, Aug. 23, from 9 a.m. to noon at St. John XXIII in Lincoln.

For more information on St. Paul Street Evangelization, visit www.street evangelization.com. To join the local team or to provide financial assistance, contact Wayne at 402-430-6972 or Mary at mringer@windstream.net.

Blogged by Lisa Maxson, senior writer/reporter.

UNL Newman Center

Ah, college. Can’t believe it’s been 15 years since I graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln with my journalism degree.

I really loved my college years, mostly because they involved the Newman Center on the campus. Also known as St. Thomas Aquinas Church - Newman Center, it’s the hub of Catholic campus ministry there.

I was extremely involved at the Newman Center throughout my five years of college. For four of those years, I was a board member and directed one of the Newman Center choirs. It certainly was a “home-away-from-home.”

A rendering of the new St. Thomas Aquinas Church – Newman Center,
which is expected to be completed next spring.
Courtesy: UNL Newman Center

To this day, I can honestly say a majority of my spirituality, knowledge of and appreciation for my faith and religious convictions come from what I learned and experienced at the Newman Center.

That’s why I’m thrilled the parish is in the middle of a five-year capital campaign to build a new, expanded church and student center as well as a Catholic fraternity and sorority.

Father Robert Matya, director of the Newman Center and vocations director for the Diocese of Lincoln, was on Spirit Mornings last Thursday talking about the campaign, “A Great Problem to Have.”

The campaign launched in July 2010 with a $25 million goal, and so far, $16.6 million have been raised from donations across Nebraska and 40 other states.

“It’s a really exciting time,” Father Matya said, referring to the construction of the new church at the same location as the old one – 16^th and Q streets.

The foundation is poured and the steel structure is starting to come out of the ground, he said.

Unprecedented growth

For the last several years, the number of students involved at the Newman Center and attending Mass there has skyrocketed. The unprecedented growth of student participation in liturgies and ministries over the past 15 years is partially attributed to the FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) program at the Newman Center since 1999.

About 2,500 students are involved with the Newman Center in some form each week, Father Matya said. Students at Nebraska Wesleyan University and Southeast Community College are also served by the Newman Center. More than 700 students participate in 100 weekly Bible study groups led by FOCUS missionaries, and the four Sunday Masses draw consistently overflowing crowds, he said.

“We were just out of space,” in the old church, which was built in 1960, Father Matya said.

Seating in the new church, expected to be completed next spring, will increase from 300 to more than 650, and the available meeting and ministry space in the Newman Center, which will be finished this fall, will double, he said.  

For Father Matya, one of the highlights of the new church is a 24-foot tall stained glass window of Jesus in heaven surrounded by saints.

“We really wanted to point students to see the reality of where they’re heading – to heaven,” he said.

The project architect is Kevin Clark, Clark Architectural Collaborative3, and construction is being completed by the Kiewit Building Group.

Greek system

Another aspect of the Newman Center campus renovation is the completion of a Catholic fraternity house.

The new Phi Kappa Theta Catholic fraternity house, completed

in August. Courtesy: UNL Newman Center

Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity chapter house – located immediately east of the Newman Center – was completed in August.  The fraternity house, which includes space for communal dining, recreation, a study library and a suite for parents, is designed to accommodate 68 men. Currently 53 men live there.

Pi Alpha Chi Sorority’s chapter house, which will be built about three blocks from the fraternity, will be the last piece of the construction project. It’s expected to be completed by the fall of 2016 or 2017, and hold up to 65 women.

Impact of campus ministry

Last spring, the Newman Center relocated to an old Methodist church on campus, and that’s where most weeknight Masses and ministries are held. Sunday and holy day Masses, as well as various Newman Center activities, are currently held at the UNL Student Union.

Catholic campus ministry has been a part of UNL since 1906, when a small group of students formed the first Catholic club. Its impact on the community hasn’t gone unnoticed. The Newman Center consistently fosters priestly and religious vocations and strong married couples, as well as men and women active in parishes after college.

“Campus ministry is obviously to help students not only just keep safe in the faith while they’re in college, but really to help them grow and develop their character, their person, who they are, during their years at college,” Father Matya said. “It’s so beautiful to see when that happens.”

Father Robert Matya, pastor of St. Thomas Aquinas Church and 

director of the Newman Center, greets students after Ash Wednesday Mass 

March 5 at the UNL Student Union. Courtesy: UNL Newman Center

At the Newman Center, students can attend daily Mass and confession, join a Catholic fraternity or sorority, participate in pro-life activities or other charities, attend retreats and socialize with other Catholic students at events. Students also have the opportunity to be involved in liturgy and music, evangelization and catechesis, community and fellowship, service and mission.

Maggie Skoch, a junior at UNL, said she transferred to Lincoln after her freshman year of college specifically because of the community she experienced during visits with friends to Newman Center activities.

“From Bible studies to community nights, retreats to singing in the choir, the Newman Center has all the essentials for building a strong foundation for one’s Catholic faith,” Skoch said. “Everybody here is excited about living out their faith.”

Students involved at the Newman Center not only have a deep love for Christ and his church, but also have the desire to continue to grow in their faith, she said.

Students and faculty fill the UNL Student Union during one of
four Ash Wednesday Masses March 5. Courtesy: UNL Newman Center.

Christopher German, a UNL student from Humphrey and president of Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity, said it’s been a blessing to encounter the person of Jesus Christ through prayer and the sacraments made possible by the strong community at the Newman Center and Phi Kappa Theta.

“The St. Thomas Aquinas family has literally brought the light of Christ into my life,” German said. “The Newman Center is a collection of people on fire with the Holy Spirit, a multitude of candles shining brightly, inviting those in darkness to come and see the reason for our joy.”     

Come and see

If you’d like to check out the progress on the construction, the community is invited to an open house for the Phi Kappa Theta Fraternity house and Newman Center construction site April 12 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., prior to the NU Spring football game.

For more information, visit huskercatholic.org.

Blogged by Lisa Maxson, senior writer/reporter.

Spirit Celebration Dinners | Lincoln & Omaha

Spirit Catholic Radio's annual Spirit Celebration Dinner has been given a makeover! With the expansion of the Spirit Catholic Radio Network, covering more of the state of Nebraska, we've decided to expand our annual dinner. Starting in 2014, there will be four separate Spirit Celebration Dinners--one in Lincoln, Omaha, Northeast Nebraska and Central Nebraska.

The purpose of this special event will stay the same--to celebrate Spirit Catholic Radio along with the people who make its success possible, including listeners, volunteers, donors, local priests and religious and on-air guests.

The first two dinners were held recently. The Lincoln Spirit Celebration dinner was held at Beacon Hills on Thursday, Feb. 27. Approximately 200 friends of the radio network came together to celebrate the mission. 

The evening's featured speaker was Fr. Kenneth Borowiak, pastor at St. Michael in Lincoln. Fr. Borowiak was also awarded the Spirit Award for his commitment to the mission of Spirit Catholic Radio. Receiving the Spirit of KVSS award were Fr. Gary Coulter, Fr. Daniel Rayer, Jim & Sue Ruigh, Dan & Barb Schepers, Fr. Adam Sughroue and Dr. Bryan & Mary Welty.

The Omaha Spirit Celebration Dinner was held Tuesday, March 4 at Creighton Prep. Approximately 350 friends of the radio network came together for the event. The featured speaker was Doug Barry, host of EWTN's Life on the Rock. Barry spoke about the importance of the New Evangelization and Catholic radio. 

Receiving the Spirit Award was Fr. Joseph Taphorn of the Archdiocese of Omaha for his contributions to Spirit Catholic Radio. Receiving the Spirit of KVSS award were Sr. Mary Lucy Astuto, Sharon Doran, Fr. Ryan Lewis and Fr. Michael Voithofer. 

Upcoming dinners will take place in Grand Island on April 29 and Norfolk on May 5. Information regarding these dinners will be available at spiritcatholicradio.com soon. 

Lincoln Spirit of KVSS Award recipients Dr. Bryan and Mary
Welty; Jim and Sue Ruigh; and Dan and Barb Schepers.

Lincoln Spirit of KVSS Award recipients Fr. Daniel Rayer;
Fr. Gary Coulter; and Fr. Adam Sughroue.

Fr. Kenneth Borowiak, Spirit Award recipient, speaks 

at the Spirit Celebration Dinner held in Lincoln Feb. 27.

Executive Director Jim Carroll, Sharon Doran and
Sr. Mary Lucy Astuto at the Omaha dinner. 

Executive Director Jim Carroll, Fr. Ryan Lewis and
Fr. Michael Voithofer at the Omaha dinner. 

Fr. Joe Taphorn accepts the Spirit Award
at the Omaha dinner.

Speaker Doug Barry at the Omaha dinner.

Omaha dinner at Creighton Prep on March 4. 

Blogged by Kelly Miller, marketing and promotions manager.

Steve Ray

Encounter Jesus. This is the theme Spirit Catholic Radio has chosen to represent our 15th year of broadcasting the Gospel message throughout the heartland.

To kick off this special year of helping others Encounter Jesus, we were blessed to have best-selling author, speaker and friend of the network, Steve Ray, join us on Sunday and Monday in Omaha and Lincoln.

Steve spoke to approximately 800 people at St. Robert Bellarmine in Omaha on Sunday, Jan. 19 and a crowd of approximately 600 at St. John the Apostle in Lincoln on Monday, Jan. 20. 

His talks surrounded the Gospel of St. John and were engaging and rich with interesting facts and Scripture. 

If you would like to hear Steve's talks, they are available for download on his website for a donation of $5. Click here for more information.

The team at Spirit Catholic Radio wishes to thank everyone who joined us at the Steve Ray events. We are blessed to have you as listeners and look forward to working together this year to help others Encounter Jesus. 

Steve Ray talks to the crowd at St. Robert Bellarmine in Omaha.

Steve Ray talks to the crowd at St. Robert Bellarmine in Omaha.

Steve Ray talks to the crowd at St. Robert Bellarmine in Omaha.

Karol Carroll, Steve Ray and Executive Director
Jim Carroll at the Omaha event.

Emily Carroll, daughter of Executive Director Jim Carroll,
helped out at the Omaha event.

Steve speaks to the crowd in Lincoln.

Steve speaks to the crowd in Lincoln.

Steve receives a blessing by Fr. Adam Sughroue
before speaking in Lincoln.

A large crowd at St. John the Apostle in Lincoln.

Steve speaks at St. John the Apostle in Lincoln.

Steve speaks to the crowd in Lincoln.

Blogged by Marketing and Promotions Manager, Kelly Miller

Cristo Rey Nativity Scene

Members of Cristo Rey Parish in Lincoln are literally preparing for the birth of Christ this Advent season.

Pepe Herrero, Pepe Casarin and about a dozen others have been assembling a nativity scene at the church that goes beyond most nativity scenes.

It’s 28-feet long and 12-feet wide and features four cities – Jerusalem, Nazareth, Bethlehem and Cana in Galilee. Based on the entire Gospel of St. Luke, it goes beyond the birth of Christ and also includes scenes of the Angel Gabriel telling Mary she will conceive a child, Mary visiting her cousin Elizabeth, the angel appearing to St. Joseph in a dream, the census, the presentation of Jesus in the temple, Mary and Joseph fleeing to Egypt and the childhood of Christ as a carpenter.

Using special effects, the scene cycles through day and night every four minutes.

“We want to give as complete a picture as possible of the circumstances surrounding the birth of Christ, not just that he was born in a stable,” Herrero said.

For 10 days, he, Casarin and other volunteers from various faith and cultural backgrounds arrange the scenery, sometimes working until the wee hours of the morning. It’s a very physical activity, but it’s done with a tremendous amount of love, Herrero said.

“For ourselves, this time of year the true meaning of Advent comes into place,” he said. “We prepare the way of the Lord with lumber, cables, figurines, houses.”

Herrero, a lawyer, and Casarin, an engineering technician, said they want to offer the city of Lincoln and the state of Nebraska an opportunity to experience the birth of Christ in 3-D through the manger tradition. At least 1,000 visitors view the nativity scene each year, they said.

The nativity will be on display at the church, 4221 J St., from Dec. 22 through Jan. 12.

Sharing a tradition

The nativity project began nine years ago, not long after Herrero moved to Lincoln from Washington, D.C.  Collecting figurines and scenery for the nativity is a shared Christmas tradition for Herrero, who is from Spain, and Casarin, a native of Mexico. So when Herrero invited his friend to help build a “monumental” nativity scene – one that is too large to fit inside a home – Casarin said he couldn’t resist.

“I really liked the idea of sharing the nativity with not only the Cristo Rey people, but also with the entire community in Lincoln,” Casarin said.

They work as a team. Casarin has strong technical skills and creates the computer system, while Herrero is the artistic director. They both build the structures.

They experimented over the years with how best to create this type of nativity scene, and little by little added new elements that required greater skill. Herrero worked with the Association of Manger Builders in Spain for ideas and hints, and even traveled with them to Italy, Egypt and the Holy Land for inspiration. A rock he brought back from the Sea of Galilee is included in Cristo Rey’s nativity scene. The hand-painted figurines all come from Spain.

The nativity continues to grow because they try to add something new each year, Herrero said. This year it’s a new temple.

The main purpose of the nativity scene, Herrero said, is to evangelize, “to tell people in some way, ‘We’re going to put an image to the things you have read about.’”

One of his favorite parts of doing the nativity each year is watching parents hold children in their arms to look at everything, he said.

“They really share together the joy of the birth of Christ through all the little figurines, through the lakes, through the fish, all that we put on display,” he said. “It’s like a big train set or a big doll house. It combines the interest of children and adults all at once.”

Casarin and Herrero said they enjoy being a part of this tradition, and hope it will continue for years.

 “I tell God, give me the strength to continue doing this, but at the same time give me the strength to be able to convey the knowledge of how it’s built to other people, so when Pepe and I are old, we have others who want to continue this tradition,” Herrero said.

Want to go?

Herrero and Casarin said everyone is invited to view the nativity at Cristo Rey, located at 4221 J St, and they will offer tours at request.

On Christmas Eve, the nativity will be open from 9 a.m. to midnight. On all other days, it will be open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Each year visitors are asked to make a donation as a way to support the parish, which serves a large low-income population. This year half of the donations collected will go to the parish and half will go towards the construction of a Catholic church in Kenya, where Herrera has spent time doing missionary work.

For more information on the nativity, call 402-488-5087 or e-mail here. A video of the Cristo Rey scene can be seen on YouTube here.

Blogged by Lisa Maxson, Senior Writer/Reporter

Giveaway! Win Tickets to The Beauty of Possibility in Lincoln

Our friends at the Lincoln Crisis Pregnancy Center in Lincoln, Neb. are hosting a fantastic pro-life event on Thursday, Dec. 5 and we have two sets of tickets to give away! To enter, simply leave a comment on this blog (at the bottom) with your e-mail address. 

We'll choose the winners randomly on Monday, Dec. 2 at 8 a.m. 

More About The Beauty of Possibility
Thursday, December 5, 2013
Embassy Suites Downtown Lincoln
Doors Open at 6:30 pm
Desserts and presentation starts at 7:00 p.m.

About the Speaker
Ryan Bomberger has a rather unique perspective of the innate nature of Purpose.  His biological mother was raped yet courageously chose to continue the pregnancy, giving him Life. He was adopted as a baby and grew up in a loving, multi-racial Christian family of 15. With siblings of varying ethnicities, he grew up with a great appreciation for diversity. Ten of the thirteen children were adopted in this remarkable family. His life defies the myth of the “unwanted” child as he was adopted, loved and has flourished.

Today, he is an Emmy® Award-winning Creative Professional who founded The Radiance Foundation (TRF), a life-affirming 501(c)(3), along with his wife, Bethany.

From congressional briefings on Capitol Hill to launching billboard campaigns in major cities across the country to advocating for adoption at major conferences to inspiring youth with their one-of-a-kind multimedia presentations, TRF has had incredible opportunities to address hundreds of thousands across the country.

Don't forget to enter by commenting below and be sure to share this contest opportunity with a friend!