LINCOLN (SNR/CNA) – St. Patrick Parish in Lincoln opened its library Nov. 15, 2020.
Pastor Father Troy Schweiger said the “St. Jerome Spiritual Reading Library” involved multiple donors, groups and individuals. He called it a project of the entire parish.
A Library Committee was started and now includes Judy Schrader, Jeff and Monique Schwehm, Claire Babl and parish secretary Kathy Esbri. The members’ duties are to maintain the library and keep it clean, sort through donated books and decide which can and cannot be used, inventory and prepare the books to be added to the library, suggest and order new books, replace returned books to the shelves and other duties normal to most libraries.
“We gladly welcome new members as each person brings a different perspective to our group and has helped us expand our parish library to help make it inclusive to all,” Esbri said.
To help celebrate the addition to the parish, the committee recently hosted a bookmark-making contest for students of St. Patrick School and the CCD program. Winners were chosen from the school and CCD program in grades K-2, 3-5 and 6-8.
“Picking winners turned out to be a difficult feat for the committee, as we have been blessed with many artistic children,” said Esbri.
Each winner was awarded a book, and all participants were given a certificate of appreciation. 
The bookmarks are on display in the St. Jerome Spiritual Reading Library and parishioners are welcome to take one to use – and even keep – when they check out a book.
Saint Jerome was a priest, monk and Doctor of the Church renowned for his extraordinary depth of learning and translations of the Bible into Latin in the Vulgate. He spent 15 years translating most of the Hebrew Bible into its authoritative Latin version.
Born around 340 in present-day Croatia, Jerome received Christian instruction from his father, who sent him to Rome for instruction in rhetoric and classical literature. Baptized in 360 by Pope Liberius, Jerome traveled widely among the monastic and intellectual centers of the new Christian empire.
