LINCOLN (SNR) – Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts traveled from the capitol Wednesday, Feb. 2 to St. Patrick School in Lincoln, to officially sign his annual proclamation of Catholic Schools Week in Nebraska.
Catholic Schools Week, a longstanding tradition among Nebraska Catholic Schools, is the celebration of Catholic education in the United States. It begins the last Sunday in January and runs throughout the week. The theme for the 2022 Catholic Schools Week is “Catholic Schools: Faith. Excellence. Service.”
St. Patrick students and staff assembled in the school gymnasium Feb. 2 to welcome Governor Ricketts. After a brief overview of the importance of Catholic schools in the formation of more than 30,000 students – nearly 10% of students in the state of Nebraska – the official proclamation was signed. Governor Ricketts then welcomed questions from the St. Patrick students. The “Shamrocks” inquired about how Ricketts came to be governor, the role of the governor, and what hopes Governor Ricketts has for the future of Nebraska.
Sister Bethany Orr, St. Patrick kindergarten teacher, said she appreciated how the governor was able to bring the influence of his faith and Catholic upbringing into many of his answers, and she was impressed with how well the governor responded to the students.
“They kept him on his toes with their questions, and he kept them engaged with his quick answers,” she said.
Fourth-grade teacher Mrs. Diane Neujahr has recently been teaching her students about Nebraska’s unicameral and said she is hoping they will get to visit Governor Ricketts’ office when they are at the capitol this spring. Her fourth-grade students were thrilled Governor Ricketts mentioned one of his favorite duties is welcoming fourth grade students on their field trips to the capitol building as a part of their Nebraska History studies.
“It was so nice that Governor Ricketts chose our school to sign the proclamation,” said eighth-grader Sydney Beckman. “I really appreciated the time he took to answer questions from the students.”
Beckman was dressed as a college graduate on ‘Vocations’ day for Catholic Schools Week. She plans to study law and hopes to one day work as a prosecuting attorney.
The event concluded in prayer led by Father Troy Schweiger. Schweiger has been in the role of teacher or administrator in Catholic schools for most of his priesthood, serving as pastor of St. Patrick Parish since 2011.
The governor’s visit was a highlight of the traditional Catholic Schools Week celebration at St. Patrick School, which also included a school-wide spelling bee, Eucharistic procession, and coin drive for Matt Talbot Kitchen. The celebration concluded with a soup supper fundraiser put on by the St. Patrick School teachers. Teachers and students don chef’s hats and make the soup from scratch, chopping and mixing ingredients right in the classroom. Funds from the soup supper go toward books and classroom supplies.
St. Patrick School opened in 1916 and currently educates 170 preschool through 8th grade students. With a staff of 15, including two Marian Sisters, St. Patrick School serves families from six different Lincoln parishes as well as families from Waverly.
