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Welcome to The November NewsNotes
President's Message
Thankful Grateful Blessed

The Thanksgiving Holiday has somehow been lost between Halloween and Christmas. It does not get much recognition except for the fact that Black Friday follows “Turkey Day”. And yet, it must be important because we spend a lot of time in preparation for a gathering on that day. We clean the house, find ways to decorate, plan a big meal, invite friends and family and gather enough chairs and tables to seat everyone. When the big day arrives, we enjoy the smell of turkey and homemade rolls which fill the house. Friends and relatives arrive and we share memories of past celebrations. We give thanks to God for the loved ones gathered say a prayer for those who are no longer with us.  

We might enjoy time sitting around the table talking, telling stories and making plans for next year. As the time to depart comes closer, we are reluctant to leave. It has been a special time of family and friends. A time spent sharing our lives and our love. What lies ahead in the days to come? We know there will be exciting happenings and challenges. But we have had this time of togetherness to strengthen us for what we will encounter. 

Thanksgiving also brings thoughts of the Pilgrims in a new country coming together to give thanks for a bountiful harvest. They thank God for safe the passage across the ocean, for surviving the unexpected winter weather and for safety in the future.

But there was another Thanksgiving – one that took place long ago and is still celebrated today. It began with a Man who told two of his followers to go into the village and find a place that was big enough to accommodate all their friends. He asked them to make arrangements so they could have a special meal and talk about the things that have been happening in their lives. He knew there would be uncertainties facing them in the future. Life would be different after tonight. They might be afraid and unsure. He wanted to be with them one last time before their lives were turned upside down. He ministered to them, washing their feet and asking them to serve others as He had served them.

When it came time for dinner, the Man prayed to God, broke the bread and shared it with his friends. He asked them to do this same thing in memory of Him. At the end of the meal, he shared a cup of wine as a covenant with them. Luke 22: 8-20. This was the Last Supper they would share (in person) with their friend and teacher. Eucharist in Greek means Thanksgiving. The Last Supper was the first Mass. This Eucharistic celebration of Thanksgiving (the Mass) takes place every day in churches around the world. Thank you, Jesus for the Gift of Thanksgiving and the most special gift – the Gift of Self.

We are Thankful, Grateful, Blessed …. Kathy Rowell
 


 
Fr. Thomas Lux- Spiritual Director
Dear NewsNotes Readers;
 
Stay Good! is a phrase I remember hearing a priest of our diocese use. It is positive. It presumes that you have been good and are good. But what does “good” mean? There are many meanings.
My parents would say “Be good”. They would ask “Did you have a good time?” or “These garden tomatoes are good!” We had a phrase “Goody goody gum drops.” We pray each year for a safe and good harvest and in thanksgiving for the harvest.
 

 
Father Thomas McGuire Assistant Spiritual Director

To Priests-Women know What's Going on More than Most Men.

It’s a general statement, I know, but I’ve usually found it true. For example, I once was asked if someone was in the hospital. I didn’t know. Tried to think if I had seen the person around. Didn’t recall. I did remember it was the time locals meet for coffee in the local coffee-meeting place. Went there and, as usual, two groups were having coffee – the men and the women – both having lively conversations. The groups were talking about different things. I joined the women. I mostly listened. Thought I’d ask about the individual I was asked about; ask surreptitiously. Turns out I didn’t need to ask.
Before long I learned the person was fine. The women knew and cared. Their conversations were of people they cared about or hoped to connect with later in the day. They talked about friends with whom they kept in touch. They even knew what the group of men were up to – what was going on in their lives.
 


 
Spirituality Commission - Ellen Jirovsky
ellenjirovsky@outlook.com - 402-643-4802
 Jeanette Stengel, Spirituality Commission Nov. 2021 Divine Mercy
Jesus said to St. Faustina: BEFORE I COME AS THE JUST JUDGE, I AM COMING FIRST AS THE KING OF MERCY. (Diary, 83).
  The devotion to Divine Mercy as we practice it today came from St. Faustina Kowalska, a Polish nun who lived in the 20th Century. She claimed that she had regular visions of Jesus and saints, and that Jesus himself gave her the details of the devotion. She wrote descriptions of what she saw and heard in her diary, which are now published in a book called 'The Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska: Divine Mercy in My Soul.'
  Warning her fellow nuns that a great war was coming and that they should pray for Poland. St. Faustina died at the age of 33 on October 5, 1938.
 
 
Service Commission - Kathy Rentschler
Krentschler21@gmail.com 402-423-8210
8200 S. 91st Street Lincoln, NE 68526 402-429-4706

The LDCCW believes in the sanctity and dignity of life from conception to natural death and endorses programs which support and advance this belief. The Service Commission addresses the concerns and needs of the family, the community and the world. It sponsors activities, works and programs that strengthen families, especially women and children. It encourages an awareness Service. The Service Commission provides valuable information about the needs of all through education and encourages women to stand together to make a difference in the world. 
Are you making a difference in your parish? Thoughts to ponder as we enter into the cold weather season. I suspect there are plenty of opportunities to make a difference. 
Here’s to a successful Service Season….
Leadership Commission - Judy Weston
ldccwleadership@gmail.com 402-984-5856
Finding the Leader Within You!
As I mentioned, the Councils are now working to change up the leadership in their current officers. We must give a big shout out to the women who have stayed on during COVID and are now ready to step down. Who can be a leader for your council? In an article in Catholic Woman, the article about Finding the Leader Within You, said to take the initiative, listen and motivate in your council or where ever you volunteer! What is holding you back? 
 
Legislative Chair - Ginger Jelinek (Hartman
ldccwlegislativechair@gmail.com 402-525-0663
There is a lot to report on for the legislative chair.
Nebraska's new redistricted maps were approved by Governor Ricketts. The maps can be found here.
· These new maps redistricted boundaries of Supreme Court judicial districts, public service commission districts, University of Nebraska Board of Regents, State Board of Education and legislative and Congressional districts.

 
UPCOMING EVENTS

 November
INDIANOLA Deanery – St. Monica Prayers
November 1 – All Saints Day 
November 2 – All Souls Day
November 1-8 – Visit a Cemetery -- An indulgence, applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory, is granted to the faithful, who devoutly visit a cemetery and pray, even if only mentally, for the departed. The indulgence is plenary from the 1st to the 8th of November.
November 7 – Daylight Savings Time Ends
November 11 - Veterans Day
November 20 – Pi Alpha Chi Founder’s Day Brunch 10 am mruhl87@gmail.com
November 23 - Thanksgiving
November 28 – First Sunday of Advent

Holy Father’s (November Intention: People who suffer from Depression
  ** We pray that people who suffer from depression or burn-out will find support and a light that opens them up to life.               

Year of Saint Joseph - 15 ways to gain an indulgence in the Year of St. Joseph (listed in the December 18 issue of the Southern Nebraska Register). I will pick one to highlight each month.

# 9 MEDITATE for at least 30 minutes on the LORD’S PRAYER because St. Joseph “invites us to rediscover our filial relationship with the Father, to renew fidelity to prayer, to listen and correspond with profound discernment to God’s will.”
 
Lincoln Diocesan Council of Catholic Women| 308-991-6054
ldcccwpresident@gmail.com