By Dennis Kellogg
Director of Communications
I had the opportunity to coach my 5-year-old grandson Micah’s T-ball team last summer. I had coached older youth baseball, but never kids this young. The commissioner warned me it would be like “herding cats.”
I laughed. He didn’t.
I planned practices and thought about drills to help them learn. Then we started. It took me just a few minutes to realize this is different. One young boy talked to the ball on the tee before he hit it. Another good young athlete hadn’t quite mastered tying his shoes yet and needed a little help. Another boy always asked for a hug from “Coach Dennis” before we started practice.
This time, it wasn’t just about me teaching these young boys and girls about baseball, I needed to learn from them as well. As the season progressed, I think the players had some fun, learned more about the game, and always looked forward to treats after the last out. I learned, too, about listening to their needs and trying to meet them where they were, not where I wanted them to be.
That’s what we’re hoping to do as we move into a new year at the Southern Nebraska Register and across all of our communication efforts: meet parishioners where they are in 2023, and communicate with you in whatever way best works for you.
You’ll start to notice a few changes in the Southern Nebraska Register. Editor Cathy Bender has made some tweaks to the overall look. Some of the photos and the look of the columns are designed a little differently. And we’re adding a photo of Jesus next to the title of our newspaper, because our ultimate goal is to use the time you spend reading our paper to bring you closer to Jesus and learn more about Him and His Church.
We’re adding some new columns and columnists to include more about what is happening across our entire diocese. One of the columns will focus on vocations and will feature stories and writings from our Catholic schools, St. Gregory the Great Seminary, the Newman Center and our religious sisters. Another column will take a broader view of the diocese and will highlight various apostolates including rural life, Hispanic ministry, youth and young adult ministry, as well as family life and discipleship programs. Vicar General Father Justin Fulton and Stewardship and Development Director Katie Ostgren will also weigh in with columns every other month. We hope these columns will make you more aware of the great programs and resources available to you in the Diocese of Lincoln.
The Emmaus Institute for Biblical Studies will contribute a short feature outlining the books of the Bible. The recent local Catholic crossword puzzles created by Father Joseph Wahlmeier have been popular, and you’ll see more of those. We’ll also include short—or long—bios of saints, the Pope’s monthly prayer intentions, and some of his tweets.
Our hope is when you read the Southern Nebraska Register, you’ll not only get updates on the important news regarding our diocese and the Catholic Church around the world, but you’ll also have opportunities to learn about your faith. Again, part of our goal is bringing you closer to Jesus and His Church.
We are also changing our “Around the Diocese” section. Instead of written updates from parishes around the diocese, we’re now encouraging all parishes to send us photos of events, milestones and good news from their churches and schools. We’ll share as many of those photos as we can both in the newspaper, and on our social media channels. And also, all are encouraged to contact us in advance about major events coming up, or great stories you think would be good to share with the entire diocese.
We’ve also made an effort to increase our sharing on social media. Be sure to follow Bishop Conley on Facebook and Twitter, and also the new Diocese of Lincoln Catholic Schools Facebook page. You can find the Catholic Diocese of Lincoln on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. Our YouTube channel features many great videos, including homilies from Bishop James Conley, our recent panel discussion “The Life and Legacy of Pope Benedict XVI” with Bishop Conley, Bishop Emeritus Fabian Bruskewitz and Msgr. Thomas Fucinaro, as well as our weekly Sunday Mass for the Homebound featuring priests from across the diocese. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to make sure you are aware of our videos.
We are also working with our local parishes to roll out a new communication tool called Flocknote. Some parishes in the diocese have already been using it, and many Catholic dioceses across the country are utilizing it. Flocknote allows parishes, schools, various ministries and now the diocese to reach out to you with updates and newsletters through emails or text messages. Talk to your local parish or contact the diocese for more information.
Like those children on the T-ball team, our Diocese of Lincoln communications team is looking to meet you where you are to share the good news going on in our diocese. Whether it’s here in the Southern Nebraska Register, or on social media or through an email or text, we want you to be in the know. We may not be able to help you tie your shoes or give you a hug, but we’ll try to hit “home runs” with the stories and information we bring you every day.
To follow us on social media, search for @bishop_conley on Twitter, Bishop James Conley, Catholic Diocese of Lincoln and Diocese of Lincoln Schools on Facebook, and Catholic Diocese of Lincoln on Instagram and YouTube. Many other diocesan ministries and programs and local parishes and Catholic schools also have social media channels. Search for your favorite!
