 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Current Events: Current Events | Bulletins | Announcements | Email Newsletter | Archive of Past Events |
Just for fun, here are sites with more information about houska. The Sisters do not recommend or endorse these sites. Carol's recipe for Christmas houska All about Czech language and culture The Notre Dame Sisters marked the public celebration of their 150th
jubilee with an evening of |
Memorial Mass
|
During
December the Notre Dame Motherhouse is filled with the wonderful
smells of baking Christmas goods. One of the good traditions at
Notre Dame is the baking of houska. Houska is a Czech bread that
is made by laying braids of dough. Christmas houska is made using
a sweet dough, flavored with spices. The Sisters bake more than
100 loaves each year. 
story-telling
at Notre Dame on November 7, 2003. The stories that were told by
civic and church leaders related the service of the Notre Dame Sisters
in the midwestern United States, Chile and Honduras over the past
seventy years. The Notre Dame Alumnae Hall was filled with guests
who enjoyed hearing for possibly the first time the remarkable story
of all that the Sisters have accomplished. It was a rare and joy-filled
occasion when the Sisters themselves gathered to celebrate the good
work that God has accomplished through them in works such as The
Shelter, the Family Life Office of the Archdiocese of Omaha, the
Catholic Hispanic Ministry, the Notre Dame presence in missions
in Chile, Honduras and Our Lady of Lourdes Mission on the Pine Ridge
Indian Reservation. Speakers told tales of the involvement of the
Sisters in Roncalli Catholic High School, Omaha civic and social
organizations and boards, respect for life movements such as Nebraskans
Against the Death Penalty and others. The story of the Notre Dame
mission and work will continue.
Sr. Mary
Kay Meagher and guests at the Celebration of Service on November
7, 2003
The
annual Memorial Liturgy for those who were entered
into the Notre Dame Sisters Memorial Association from October 2002
through September 2003 was held in the Notre Dame Chapel on November
2nd. About 250 people attended the Liturgy, and many stayed for
the light brunch served by the Sisters afterwards. The brunch, featuring
homemade rolls and kolaches, was sponsored in part by Heafey- Heafey-
Hoffmann- Dworak- Cutler Funeral Chapels. The Memorial Mass is held
in the Notre Dame Chapel on the first Sunday of November. | The annual fund-raising dinner for Nebraskans Against
the Death Penalty was hosted by the Notre Dame Sisters
on October 25, 2003. About 100 people attended the
catered event to listen to featured speaker David Kaczynski, the brother
of the “Unabomber.” Mr. Kaczynski, who told the FBI he
thought his brother might be the Unabomber in 1996, was successful
in fighting for help, instead of the death penalty, for his mentally
ill brother. Since that time he has witnessed the difference that
geography, race and economic status make in the determination of who
will receive the death penalty in the United States. Two Notre Dame
Sisters, Mary Ann Zimmer and Christine Elias, have received awards
in the past for their work to end the death penalty in Nebraska. |
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||
The
Second Annual Omaha Night Out celebration, part
of the National Night Out campaign, was attended by many residents
of Seven Oaks of Florence, Notre Dame Sisters, and neighbors from
the Florence area. Again this year the watermelon that was served
by the Sisters was a big attraction. The Florence firefighters and
emergency medical staff returned this year to visit with the community
and share in the refreshments. As promised last year, music was
added to the entertainment. A trio of musicians volunteered their
time and talent to keep the celebration lively. 
On
August 3, 2003, Patricia Settles requested to enter the Notre
Dame Sisters novitiate. Her family and friends gathered at
Notre Dame for a special ceremony as the Notre Dame Sisters
welcomed Sister Patty. 
It
has always been the practice of the Notre Dame Sisters
to live a life of simplicity. Many of the "retired"
Sisters work around the Motherhouse in a variety of jobs,
providing services to the Sisters. Sr. Mary Beth Kubesh
(right, top) works to keep the grounds neat and flower-filled.
Her gardens provide flowers to decorate the Chapel on
special occasions. Sr. Immolata Skala (right, below) and
many other Sisters work to prepare, can and freeze donated
produce for use in the Sisters' Kitchen.
Sr. Dolores Pavlik (left) and Sr. Bernardine Mazanec sort
and distribute the mail received at the Motherhouse. Many
Sisters take turns answering the telephone, driving other
Sisters to appointments, visits and shops, cooking, cleaning,
sewing and organizing. The many jobs done by the Sisters
helps keep their living expenses as low as possible and
their lifestyle simple.
