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MOQ parishioners began the Holy Week observance by commemorating the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.
Devotions, celebration greet the news of the Resurrection
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A quarterly newsletter for the community of Mary Our Queen Church, Omaha, Nebraska, April 2015
A season of sanctification and remembrance . .
.
Preparations for Easter at Mary Our Queen included the traditional
Palm Sunday service (above) and a Lenten Mission with Father Kevin
Joyce (left), assisted by the 11 o’clock choir (below).
A letter from the pastor
Page 2, The Steward, April 2015_________________________________________________________________________________
Dear Mary Our Queen Parishioners, The MOQ Parish Offices/Rectory is updating its security system. We are having swipe cards/entry pads installed on some of the outer doors and cameras installed around the building. To enter the main reception area on the east side, you will need to be buzzed in. A buzzer and camera will be installed for this purpose. We hope to have everything installed by summer. The Finance Committee decided to look at ways of raising Sunday collections here at Mary Our Queen as it is getting more and more difficult to balance the budget. We are looking at sending let-ters to school parents and other parishioners to educate people, having town hall meetings and other possible options available to us. These past few months we have been working on a Strategic Five-Year Plan for Mary Our Queen grade school with representatives from the school administration, Parish administration, school faculty, school board and par-ents. Feedback was obtained on all aspects of the school program from stu-dents, faculty and parents to identify the school’s strengths, weaknesses, op-portunities and threats. The strengths are: Catholic Identity/Environment, Small Class Sizes, Students Prepared for High School, Involved Parents, High Academic Expec-tations, Supportive Community, Good First Impression, Attractive/Affordable neighborhood and Established Endowment. The weaknesses are: Communication, Aging Facility/Limited Growth Potential, Loca-tion/Demographics, Teacher Compensation, Teacher/Staff Retention, On-boarding New Families, Lack of Diversity (ethnic) and Flat Sunday Contributions. The opportunities are: Increased Financial Commitment, Communication of MOQ (marketing), Expanding Community/Parent Engagement, Teacher Development (continuing education, use of technology), Capacity Utilization (more fully use school facilities), Returning Alumni. The threats are: Economy, Move of Families to the West, Competition for Staff and Students, Technology and Tools for Collaboration, Technology Refresh Rate, Public School Offerings and Fi-nancial Dependence on Endowment. Goals for the Strategic Five-Year Plan were then formulated and prioritized. The committee de-cided to focus on four goals - Goal 1: Protect and Grow Our Catholic Identity through Academic and Educator Excellence, Goal 2: Enrollment Growth/Management, Goal 3: Financial Management, Goal 4: Technology and Facilities Planning/Management. The Strategic Five-Year Planning committee is now developing the action plans that will make it possible to achieve these goals. The committee hopes to have the strategic plan completed in April. Committee Members are Brad Muse, Lisa Nelson, Fr. Robert English, Tara Petersen, Mary Alice Laferla, Marge Welch, Luke Ranck, Ann Timmerman, Sheila Lynch Sully and Melissa Siedlik.
May the Lord continue to bless you,
Fr. Bob English
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_________________________________________________________________________________The Steward, April 2015, Page 3
Members of the Humphrey family from left: Chris, Kare, Patrick, Jack, the late Denny Humphrey, Marilyn, Stephanie,
Elle, Noah, Danielle. Foreground: Madden, Doug and Ava.
Spirit of MOQ Award honors the Humphreys By Kris Vigneri, MARQUEE co-chair
At the 2014 MARQUEE, a tradition began with
the introduction of the Spirit of Mary Our Queen
award. First recipients were Mary Kay Esser and Peg-
gy Olsen. We are honored to continue the tradition of
recognizing a family that has demonstrated abiding
love for and exemplary service to our Parish.
It is with great love and pride that we named the
Humphrey family as the 2015 Spirit of Mary Our
Queen Award recipient. The Humphreys have been
members of the Parish for over 40 years and raised
three children, all who attended MOQ School.
We are so blessed to have this family in our Par-
ish. Combined, they have donated an incredible
amount of time, talent and treasure to Mary Our
Queen, serving our community in many ways.
Denny was a sports coach, EMHC, usher and
development director. He participated in the golf
league, served on the Stewardship Committee, volun-
teered at the Day House and was a member of the
Knights of Columbus. He was a constant at Knights of
Columbus activities, including the Lenten fish fries.
Denny truly loved being a part of Mary Our Queen
Parish, demonstrating this by his active involvement.
Denny’s passing in 2014 was a loss felt by many.
Marilyn is an EMHC, participates in Catholic
Daughters, works the Human Needs Garage Sale, vol-
unteers at the Day House and was a member of the La-
dies Guild. As a school room parent, she volunteered
for recess duty and continues to help Knights events
such as the fish fries and the Fall Festival.
Denny and Marilyn’s sons, Chris and Doug, both
participated in sports and youth group while growing
up in the Parish, and both are members of their local
Knights of Columbus councils.
Their daughter, Stephanie, remains an active
Parish member of Mary Our Queen. She is an EMHC,
volunteers with Catholic Daughters, works the Human
Needs Garage Sale, was a member of the Ladies Guild,
participated in youth group and continues to be a vital
part of the Lenten fish fries, the Fall Festival and other
Knights of Columbus events. Her son Madden will
start Kindergarten at Mary Our Queen this fall. He
plays micro soccer and enjoys helping at Fish Frys, the
Fall Festival and other Knights of Columbus events.____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Page 4, The Steward, April 2015_________________________________________________________________________________
Larry Reiff, a member of Knights of Columbus Council 11700 at MOQ, slaves over a hot stove at the Knights’ weekly
Lenten fish fry events, a feature of growing popularity at MOQ. The event fills the social hall (below) with weekly attend-
ance ranging from 1,200 to above 2,000. Proceeds go to support the Knights’ service to MOQ Parish and their support of
Catholic causes, including education, human needs, vocations and pro-life activities. (Photos by Gene Schlegel.)
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________The Steward, April 2015, Page 5
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
More scenes from a fish fry
Clockwise from upper right: A coat-check
concession raised money for Boy Scout
activities. The wait line filled the tunnel
and halls. A party atmosphere prevailed in
the Social Hall. Longtime volunteers took
a break to be photographed by Gene
Schlegel -- Ann Cunningham, Betty Hage-
dorn, Marge Stolte, Jane Krajicek and Sis-
ter Stephanie Matcha.
Page 6, The Steward, April 2015_
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Home and School asks: what’s cooking? A pinch of this and a dash of that, mix it all
together and what do you have? If you guessed a new
Mary Our Queen cookbook, you are right!
As a way to help celebrate the 50th
anniversary
of Mary Our Queen School, the Home and School As-
sociation is putting together a cookbook to celebrate
this special milestone. Please keep a lookout for ways
to contribute a recipe for the cookbooks to come out
in late summer.
Home and School also held its second annual
volunteer celebration and open house in March. All
parents of MOQ students are automatic members of
the Home and School Association. Volunteers help
with anything from cutting out box tops to planning
holiday parties to organizing the used uniform room
and so much more! Home and School has many ways
to get involved.
For more information contact Christine Jonaitis
at: [email protected] ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
MARQUEE glitters for MOQ
with elegance and generosity Increasingly important as a mainstay in the Parish
financial structure, the annual MARQUEE dinner-dance
took place Feb. 14 at the DC Centre with dinner, auctions,
and a program that reatured lots of pride and enthusiasm in
the Parish and its traditions.
The event was chaired this year by two couples (pho-
to at left), Scott and Jamie Kinnaird and Kris and Vincent
Vigneri.
A highlight of the program was a video produced by
Tom Elkins (below left, with his wife, Suzy) celebrating
the 50th
anniversary of MOQ school. Elkins drew on new
and archival material to present a memorable montage of
images and sounds in honor of the event. Guests at the
event included Father Bob English and longtime parishion-
er Jim Timmerman (below, right).
Bidding in the silent and oral auctions was spirited.
Scouts, from left: Jack Kramer, Jack Duff, Jackson Petrzilka,
Gerald Righter, Joe Nussrallah, Will Culjat, Ben Harrel, David Mal-
donado, Jared Burns, J.J, Nigh, Cameron Mulholland, Jacob Blair,
Henry Talacko, Jordan Blair, Matthew Wagoner, Cal Tietjen, Aaron
Rooker, Aidan Conrad, Sam Matney, Ben Olson.
_________________________________________________________________________________The Steward, April 2015, Page 7
TNT lays out its schedule for upcoming activities The TNTs, MOQ’s over-50 group, provide a
variety of activities. In January we had a Mass and
soup supper for our members. In February a pot-luck
luncheon for parishioners was held, with Nancy Foral,
executive director of Essential Pregnancy Services
speaking. A free-will offering of $230 and many
hand-made baby items from the Craft Ministry were
presented to the speaker.
A St. Patrick’s Day get-together was held in
March at Granite City restaurant and brewery. We in-
vite all to the Intergeneration Orchestra of Omaha’s
Thirtieth Anniversary Concert April 19 at Joslyn Art
Museum Witherspoon Concert Hall. Two parishion-
ers, Megan Brookhouser and Mickey Riesberg, play
in the orchestra. See the Bulletin for ticket infor-
mation.
May 1 we will have a May Day dinner catered
by Bob Hurtado with entertainment by the Dancing
Grannies. In June we are planning another EAT
PRAY LOVE Church tour. And on Aug. 5 we will
meet at the Durham Museum for a trip on Ollie the
Trolley for the Magic City tour of historic South
Omaha.
We continue to offer Movement and Improve-
ment classes and Card/Game day the first and third
Fridays in the St. Joseph room. Mickey Riesberg,
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Here’s what you may have wondered about MOQ’s Boy Scout troop The Mary Our Queen Men’s Club has
sponsored Boy Scout Troop 448 for 47 years.
The purpose of the Boy Scout program is to
provide youths with an opportunity to learn
leadership and outdoor skills and to encounter
an environment where moral and ethical
choices are encouraged and taught. The Troop
is under the leadership of the senior patrol
leader with assistance from his staff; he is
guided in his efforts by the scoutmaster. We
camp almost every month and try to have an
outdoor activity those months when we aren’t
able to camp.
The Boy Scout motto is “Be Prepared,”
and the slogan is “Do a Good Turn Daily.”
Troop 448 engages in a variety of service pro-
jects including “Project Linus” (making fleece
tie blankets for children who’ve experienced a
traumatic event), Scouting for Food (collect-
ing food donations for the food pantries in the spring),
serving meals at the Ronald McDonald house, clean-
ing up trash and loading rented materials after the Fall
Festival, providing a color guard during the Parish’s
annual Veteran’s Day celebration and helping in other
areas as the need arises.
The Troop meets on Sunday evenings with the
exception of many holiday weekends, from 6:30 to
8:00, usually in the Parish cafeteria. The program is
open to all young men who have either reached 11
years of age, earned the Cub Scout Arrow of Light or
completed the 5th
grade. They are eligible to advance
in rank until their 18th
birthday. The Troop currently
has 39 registered Scouts: 5 Eagle scouts, 8 Life
scouts, 5 Star scouts, 11 First Class scouts, 1 Second
Class scout, 1 Tenderfoot, and 7 new Scouts. The
Troop has had 114 young men reach the rank of Eagle
during its 47 years of existence, including one father
and son duo. Visit www.moqtroop448.org for more information about scouting.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Page 8, The Steward, April 2015_________________________________________________________________________________
‘Unbound’ program looks to June for next seminar On Feb. 26, we finished our second "Unbound"
seminar at the Kenney Center. It consisted of watch-
ing and discussing DVDs for eight Thursday eve-
nings, 7-8:30. These DVDs supplemented the book
entitled "Unbound – a Practical Guide to Deliverance"
by Neal Lozano, as well as the "Unbound Companion
Guide." (Both are available at Catholic book stores
such as Gloria Deo. Author Neal Lozano is a cousin
of Fr. Mike Scanlon, past president of Franciscan
University in Steubenville, Ohio.)
As you know, "Unbound" is a non-
confrontational deliverance prayer ministry that relies
on the power of God and focuses on people, not evil
spirits. It is a safe, loving and reproducible model that
helps people respond to the good news of the Gospel
and apply the truth to their lives using the Five Keys -
- Repentance and Faith, Forgiveness, Renunciation,
Authority and the Father’s Blessing. By using the Five
Keys in individual prayer sessions and in personal
prayer, people experience freedom from the influence
of deception and lies and embrace the reality that they
are known and loved by the Father.
We are considering starting another eight-week
seminar in early June and perhaps condensing it into a
six-week seminar. (We are also hopeful that Fr.
Nolte, pastor of St. Bernard, will facilitate the return
of the Lozanos for a follow-up conference in Septem-
ber or October.) If you have questions, feel free to call
me before 8 p.m. at 402-289-3862 or email me at
[email protected]. - Deacon Paul Rooney
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Front Row, L-R - Kelly Williams, Molly Kramer, Joey O'Hara, Cal Tietjen, Alex Schumacher, Cameron
Mulholland, Jared Burns
Another good season for MOQ’s robotics wizards The Mary Our Queen robotics program had
another strong season with lots of active participation
from students. We had five teams with a total of 23
sixth, seventh and eighth grade students. We kicked
off the season hosting a skills challenge. Our teams
then competed in five area tournaments, plus league
play.
The students earned seven trophies – one tour-
nament champion, three finalist, two programming
and a sportsmanship trophy. All the teams qualified to
compete for the state championships, held in Stroms-
burg, Neb. There we had a team come in second place
and another team win the design award. Two teams
are headed to the Create U.S. Open at the Mid Ameri-
ca Center in Council Bluffs in April. We will soon
begin our recruiting for next year, so any students en-
tering sixth, seventh or eighth grade should watch for
announcements.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Last Updated: April 1, 2015
________________________________________________________________________________The Steward, April 2015, Page 9
Winners of the Knights of Columbus Poster contest, shown
with Police Officer Jenny Nelson, left, and Father Walter
Jong-a-Kiem, were Sophia Virgillito, Sidney Sledge, Delaney
Whitney, Stacey Geist, Mary Kate Nusrallah and, in the
foreground, Ryan Sully and Colleen Sully. Theme of the
contest was the danger posed to young people by alcohol
and drugs.
MOMS SETS SIGHTS ON AUTUMN The Ministry of Mothers Sharing had a very
successful spring, co-sponsoring the Ladies Morning
of Spirituality with the Ladies Guild and completing
our 39th eight-week spirituality series in March.
Participants in this spring's session were LeAnn
Anderson, Sarah Weber, Aura Krist, Sarah Ash-
ley,and Shelly Ranck.
Another eight-week session will begin in the
fall. To register or obtain more information, contact
Melissa Siedlik at 402-709-8769 or Sarah Moline at
402-213-4669.
KNIGHTS’ FREE-THROW WINNERS
Boys winners in the 2015 Mary Our Queen
Knights of Columbus Free Throw competition were
Connor Capece (age 9), Nicholas Kenney (age 10),
Ben Militti (age 11), Carter Plum (age 12), Mitchell
Harrison (age 13) and Nick Connelly (age 14).
Girls winners were Taylor Moffatt (age 9), So-
phie Weinrich (age 10), Ashley Moore (age 13) and
Avery Hanken (age 14).
Carter Plum (age 12) won the district contest at
St. Roberts and placed second at the regional contest
at St. Wenceslaus.
Serving fish fry desserts: Mary Tracy, Shirley Payton,
Jan Mickels, Sandy Storc and Germaine Rice .
Catholic Daughters posts goals The mission statement of Catholic Daugh-
ters is that it “strives to embrace the principle of
faith working through love in the promotion of
justice, equality and advancement of human rights
and human dignity for all.”
The theme our National Board chose for the
2015-2017 term is “Whatever you do for the least
of my brethren, you do for Me.” We have been
asked to focus on: One new project each year, in-
creased membership and spirituality.
The National Projects that our Courts cur-
rently donate to are: Apostleship of the Sea, Cath-
olic Relief Services, Covenant House, Disaster
Relief, Habitat for Humanity, Holy Cross Family
Ministries, Labouré Society, Misericordia, Mo-
rality in Media, Pontifical North American Col-
lege, Sisters of Charity (Mother Teresa), Smile
Train, SOAR! And the Tutwiler Clinic.
if you would like to learn more about our
donations to these organizations, refer to the CDA
website: http://www.catholicdaughters.org/
Our Court has been busy making and serv-
ing desserts at the Knights of Columbus Fish Fries
at Mary Our Queen on Feb. 20, March 6 and
March 20.
The biennial state convention will be held
in South Sioux City on April 18-19 at the Maria-
na Inn Hotel and Conference Center. The theme
is: Life is a Gift from God. Contact Mary Tracy for
information.
DATES FOR HUMAN NEEDS GARAGE SALE
It will be on July 31 and Aug. 1-2. Dona-
tions will be accepted July 26-30.
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_
Last Updated: April 1, 2015
Return service requested
Page 10, The Steward, April 2015________________________________________________________________________________
The Parish Record, Jan. 1 – March 31
BAPTISMS
Blaize Garrett Dvorak, Paxton Marie Lee
Hanken, Bailey Anne Hirchert, Makenzie Michelle
Hirchert, Isaiah Henri Johnson, Samuel Joel
Knofczynski, Lillie James McCarville, Aubrey Rae
Naughton, Kennedy Claire O’Riley, Emilia Marie
Rowell, Michael Anthony Stull, Michael David Vol-
ler, Isaac Michael Walden, Bianca Marie Watson.
NEW PARISH REGISTRATIONS
Ronald and Patricia Andersen, Mike and Alicia
Battershell, Tina Benning, John and Kylee Best, Mi-
chael and Alisson Bragg, Thea Costello, Jessica and
Brandon Hirchert, Kelsey Knofczynski, Curtis and
Jennifer Krobot, Jessica Koza, Jeffrey and Maureen
Lohmeier, Jason and Anne McGill, James and Karen
Murphy, Carl and Katie Parys, Jerry and Celine
Pivovar, Jacob and Mallory Pole, Oystein and Jeanette
Solberg, John and Debra Stalnaker, Kerry and Mary
Stull, Michael Tesch, Zachary and Sara Voller, Ryan
and Melissa Wolken.
DEATHS
Leona Bergstrom, Birute Bezousek, Thomas
Brusnahan, Frank Corritore, Todd Davis, Joan Fi-
cenec, Kathryn Foster, Phyllis Glogowski, Mary Col-
lette Lee, Judith Lewis, Donna Maliszewski, Michael
J. McAlpine, John Nownes, Sr., Phyllis Stokes.
WEDDINGS
Nathan Coulombe and Kassandra Oropeza – Feb. 28
Jordan Eckersley and Megan Efferding – March 7
Thomas Frederick and Kristin Reinsvold - March 14
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