By S.L. Hansen
for the Register
Lincoln’s Pius X High School will host the second annual International Day in the Flavin Gymnasium Saturday, March 28, from 1 to 4 p.m. All are welcome to attend.
The festival-style event promises to be a feast for the soul, mind and body. It will begin with Mass celebrated by priests of two cultural parishes in Lincoln, Father Dominic Nguyen of Immaculate Heart of Mary and Father Dominic Winter of Cristo Rey.
Performances reflecting different nationalities with music will follow. The last hour will be a time of fellowship and enjoying food samples and games from a variety of countries around the world.
Joshua Kirkwood of St. Michael Parish in Lincoln, assistant principal at Pius X High School, is coordinating the event in partnership with the Pius X Welcome to All committee. He estimated 150 people attended last year’s inaugural event.
“Everything was positive,” he said. “Families were grateful for the opportunity to learn and share, as well as the chance to learn from our performers last year.”
SNR photos | See more photos from last year's event.
Like many other Catholic schools in the diocese, Pius X has an ethnically diverse student body. Kirkwood said that over the years, the high school has found various ways to recognize the universality of the school as a reflection of the universality of the Church.
“Pius X has always celebrated our cultures at the Epiphany Mass through the representation of flags, readings in various languages, and songs in various languages,” he said. “Students celebrate Indigenous Peoples and Black History Month. We have a Vietnamese club, Passport to Adventure, Amigos Globales, Asian-Arts Club, French Club, Latin Club, Sign Language and Spanish Club.”
Additionally, foreign language classes at Pius X teach culture as much as vocabulary and grammar. For example, Spanish classes celebrate the Feast of the Virgin of Guadalupe and Día de los Muertos.
As he has been organizing this second annual event, Kirkwood has arranged for some of the same groups who performed last year to return again this year, including the Aztec Dancers, the Mexico Lindo dance group, West African drummer Keeran Woode, and the Lion Dance group from the Asian Community & Cultural Center. Also performing will be Pius X High School’s own Los Santitos del Trueno (Little Saints of Thunder) mariachi band, a school club directed by Director of Bands Jared Wilhelm.
Food representing different cultures will be prepared and shared by families from each community.
“The food sharing allowed attendees a chance to interact with the performers and learn more about each culture,” Kirkwood said.
International Day at Pius X was inspired by the Bible verse, “We are many parts, but one body.” (1 Cor: 12: 12-31)
“Our initial goal was to restore the respect and dignity of all our cultures to Christ, and share in our uniqueness,” explained Kirkwood. “This tied very well into our motto for this year, In the One, We are One. We want to highlight the beauty of all our communities at Pius X, connect with what unites us all in the Eucharist, and share in joyful celebrations of music, food, and games.”
He noted that celebrating other cultures is a means for people to unite in Christ.
“Part of the universal mission of the Church is for all people to be known, seen, and loved,” he said. “An integral part of being known, seen, and loved comes from our cultural heritage. While we are all One in the One, it’s important to recognize the beauty of our differences.”
He continued, “International Day provides an opportunity to share in the goodness represented by the cultures in our community — seen — to learn from one another — known — and to form deeper appreciation for each other through sharing — loved.”
Being unified in Christ despite cultural differences is increasingly important with growing conflict in the world today.
“The Church has a beautiful response to this tension that involves both culture and the dignity of the person,” Kirkwood affirmed. “This event is an important reminder that we are all made in the image of the One God who loves us all. We live in a beautiful world, and are blessed to be able to share and learn from each other.”
He concluded, “It’s our hope that this event brings our entire community together to celebrate. We are always looking for families/groups to share food or share cultural games for the event.”
Those interested in presenting their culture through performance, food or games, please contact Kirkwood at Pius X High School.
Everyone is welcome to International Day, observing the normal time of fasting prior to Mass. There is no admission fee. International food options will be available, some for cash purchase.
