By S.L. Hansen for the Register
Each year, hundreds of couples in the Diocese of Lincoln receive the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony.
On Oct. 17, Sacred Heart parish in Cedar Hill witnessed the marriage vows of the fourth generation from a single family when Eliss Hall wed Jordan Rush. Both musicians, the couple met in Omaha when they were asked to collaborate on a song in 2020.
Eliss said, “It felt as though God gently nudged me and said, ‘Hey, that’s him.’”
After their friendship blossomed, Jordan proposed last January. The couple completed their marriage prep courses with Father Benjamin Boyd of St. Bernadette Church in Bellevue.
“Through his guidance, Jordan and I grew even more deeply in love, strengthened our faith, and learned how to invite God more fully into our relationship as we prepared for the sacrament.”
There was also the fun of preparing for the wedding and reception.
“Ever since I was a little girl, I imagined myself getting married at Sacred Heart,” Eliss remembered. “My family has deep roots in the church. Sacred Heart has always felt like home to me.”
After learning of the couple’s engagement, Eliss’ parents, Jerry and Cecilia Hall, hinted that it would be particularly meaningful for one of their own children to be married in the same church where they were wed. Four of their seven children had married in other places—Omaha, Lincoln, Missouri and Indiana—and their son Father Nathan Hall is a priest for the Diocese of Lincoln, so Eliss would become the first of their offspring to marry in the family’s 147-year-old home parish.
Frank and Mary (Bauer) Vojtech were married there May 9, 1904. Their son Joseph married Evangeline Wesely on April 28, 1942. Cecilia and Jerry followed Sept. 5, 1964.
Eliss and Jordan readily agreed that Sacred Heart would be the perfect church for their wedding.
“Each previous generation built their marriages on a foundation of faith in Christ,” Eliss said. “We feel incredibly blessed to begin our own marriage surrounded by their examples of faith, love, and trust in God.”
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Courtesy photos
Cecilia met Jerry Hall at North Bend High School “across the river” in the Archdiocese of Omaha. Both studied education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and the pair were wed a couple weeks before starting their junior year. A year and a half later, the couple posed for their graduation photos with their first baby, Mary (Hall) Roy.
Since returning to the Morse Bluff area, Cecilia and Jerry have remained active in the parish.
“Eliss’ dad built the new altar of sacrifice when versus populum was encouraged, years before Father Hall would celebrate his first Mass on it after his ordination May 29, 2016,” Cecilia said.
Eliss and her dad Jerry have always shared that love of building things.
“He is a retired contractor and incredibly talented at what he does,” Eliss said. “Last year, I asked him to teach me how to build a house from the ground up. We built a tiny house together, and I had so much fun learning from him.”
That talent came in handy when Eliss and Jordan were planning their wedding, because there wasn’t a reception venue anywhere close to Sacred Heart Church. So, Eliss and Jerry built a 60’ x 30’ hall on the family farm. They even harvested trees from the property to mill for the lumber they used.
Family and friends pitched in. One of the Hall daughters is a construction engineer, so she helped Jerry work out the structural design. Neighbors showed up. A cousin came from Omaha whenever he could. Eliss’ friends helped put up the rafters.
For the big day, one Hall sister baked the cakes; other sisters crafted centerpieces and bouquets. Jerry built the head table out of black walnut. While the previous generations who married at Sacred Heart have all passed on, their wedding pictures were displayed at the reception, along with photos from the groom’s side.
Best of all, Eliss’ brother, Father Nathan Hall, presided.
“He had always prayed that I would find the best possible husband—someone with whom I could build a happy, healthy, and fulfilling marriage,” Eliss said.
She continued, “Knowing that my brother saw these qualities in Jordan meant so much to me, and having him be part of our wedding day made it all the more special.”
For Cecilia, her favorite part of the big day was “seeing our daughter married by her brother, to her best friend, and concelebrated by two priests who are friends of the couple, in the church that Eliss’ great-great-grandfather had helped build two years after coming to the United States from Moravia.”
Eliss is still reveling in memories of the day.
“Standing before God and asking Him to bless our marriage, remain present in our lives, and guide us throughout our journey together is a beautiful and humbling experience,” she said. “Knowing that our marriage begins with Him at its center makes this moment all the more profound.”
This is something that Jerry and Cecilia tried to instill in their children.
“We always emphasized you can’t pick and choose when it comes to our faith,” Cecilia said.
“Holy Matrimony is the joining of two souls,” Eliss added. “As Jordan puts it, it genuinely feels like a new life and spiritual life has begun for the both of us.”
She concluded, “Planning is a lot of fun, but at the end of the day, the ceremony is the most important part. It is the moment when everything comes together and something truly changes. There is a profound beauty in making those vows before God and beginning your life together as husband and wife.”
