By Fr. Justin Fulton
This weekend here in Nebraska, a timeless ritual will take place. In the wee hours of Saturday morning, dads and moms and some of their children, friends old and new, co-workers, neighbors, old college roommates, high school buddies and people all over will wake up and slam coffee, bundle up and place on some blaze orange and head out into the country.
Nestled amongst oaks, pines, CRP fields, cottonwoods, picked bean fields, half-harvested corn, and hedge rows, the excitement of a whole year will culminate with the grand experience of firearm deer hunting season. Skill and quiet, concentration, fortuitous chance and luck will all blend together into a weekend’s worth of stories and a lifetime’s worth of memories. Deer hunting in Nebraska is one of the most-anticipated times of the year for people from both rural and urban backgrounds and regrettably, I won’t make it this year. Fiddlesticks.
Deer hunting provides an opportunity for learning, mentorship, shared experience and love. Parents teach their children lessons that were passed onto them from previous generations. And when a youngster gets their first deer, a sense of pride envelops not only the child but the parent as well. And we as humans partake in the beautiful nature and plentiful resources God has provided to His children as we properly steward His creation. Deer hunting is really an opportunity for experiential and service learning.
Father Ben Holdren’s students at Aquinas Catholic Schools in David City recently performed an experiential and service learning project here at CSS. His students adopted a United States-government-vetted Iraqi refugee family and helped welcome them to Nebraska. They raised money for the family to buy them food and household items. CSS was there at the Lincoln airport to welcome the family to Nebraska. CSS helped move the family in and set up their house. And we are all mentoring them on the ins-and-outs of Lincoln, Nebraska, and America.
The students learned firsthand how to raise money, show compassion, work together, and love people coming to America from war-torn countries. They witnessed to Jesus and practiced their Catholic faith in action. They pray for the family. They welcomed the stranger, clothed them, fed them—they were Jesus Christ to them. In this way along with our CSS staff, they are mentoring their new friends from Iraq just as parents mentor their children in the woods. And smiles are shared and Christ’s peace is spread to people who have never experienced peace in their lives.
We thank Father Holdren and his students. A bunch of kids from Butler County were Jesus Christ to a group of women, men, and children escaping from horror. Thank you for your leadership, faith, and witness to Jesus Christ!
Thank you for not being afraid and living greatly. Thank you for partnering with CSS to bring Hope in the Good Life. And thank you for creating memories and mentoring those who are rebuilding their lives here in Nebraska.
Thank you all for your prayers and continued support of CSS. May God bless us all!
