Catholic Social Services and
Southern Nebraska Register
Around 400 supporters gathered March 14 at the Embassy Suites Lincoln for the annual Celebration of Hope Gala & Silent Auction hosted by Catholic Social Services of Southern Nebraska (CSS), an evening centered on the message that no one is beyond God’s mercy and no one walks alone.
The event, themed “You Are Not Alone,” highlighted stories of faith, redemption, and the Church’s call to accompany those on the margins.
Featured speaker Johnny Ray shared a powerful testimony of hope that began in the darkest moment of his life.
“In 1991, I was sentenced to life plus 50 years in prison at 17 years old,” Ray told the audience. “For all practical purposes, what that sentence really meant was: You will never come home.”
After the sentence was read, Ray was returned to his cell and he collapsed in despair. In that moment, he said he experienced something that would change the course of his life.
“I heard a voice say my name: ‘Johnny,’” he recalled. “The voice was strong, but deeply calming. My crying stopped. My breathing steadied. Peace replaced despair in an instant.”
The message he heard that day remained with him throughout the decades that followed.
“Johnny, have faith,” the voice said. “People’s feelings change, and laws change. In the meantime, I will place you in a realm of existence that you could never imagine.”
Ray said that moment marked the beginning of a long spiritual journey during his 33 years of incarceration — a journey shaped by prayer, faith, and encounters with people who reminded him he had not been forgotten. One such encounter came through a religious sister who began visiting him in prison and later connected him with members of her parish in Omaha who adopted him spiritually, writing letters and assuring him of their prayers.
“It was the first time since entering prison that I felt connected to a community outside those walls,” Ray said.
In 2016, following changes in the law recognizing that juveniles deserve a meaningful opportunity for release, Ray’s sentence was modified and he was granted a second chance.
“Standing here today — free, speaking to you, sharing this witness — is absolutely a realm of existence I could never have imagined,” he said. “I am here because Christ entered a prison cell in 1991 and called me by name.”
Ray’s journey closely mirrors the mission of the CSS Prison and Reentry Apostolate (PARA) of the Diocese of Lincoln, which walks alongside incarcerated men and women and those returning to society after prison, believing that restoration and redemption are possible.
“Reentry is where mercy becomes visible,” Ray told those gathered, echoing Christ’s call in the Gospel to visit those in prison. “As Catholics and Christians, we are called not only to visit those in prison, but to walk with them when they come home.”
Amanda Baus photos courtesy Catholic Social Services
The evening also included the presentation of the Heart of Christ Award to seminarians in the propaedeutic stage, the first year of formation at St. Gregory the Great Seminary. Five of the propaedeutic seminarians volunteer with CSS’ Community Street Outreach program in Lincoln. Representing the group, seminarian Dan Stara of David City reflected on their encounters with people experiencing homelessness.
“In our street walks, we encounter our own poverty in a profound way, and it transforms us,” Stara said. “It changes our perspectives to be more like Christ’s, which will pay a hundred-fold return and have unique value if, God willing, we become priests.”
Working alongside CSS Outreach Coordinator Alexis Broulliette, the seminarians meet people on the streets, listen to their stories and offer prayer, companionship, and basic necessities such as gloves, blankets, and hygiene items — simple acts that reflect Christ’s presence among those often forgotten.
The Celebration of Hope Gala, one of CSS’s most successful events to date in Lincoln, also featured a silent auction in which every item was purchased. A matching challenge announced during the evening was met and exceeded, raising $68,150—doubling the impact to $136,300—to support programs across southern Nebraska.
“Every year, people come to us fleeing violence, facing hunger or homelessness, navigating complicated immigration systems, and searching for a place to belong,” said CSS Executive Director Katie Patrick. “Every program we run exists so that no one has to face their hardest moments alone. Together we help people discover Hope in the Good Life.”
