The Annual Diocesan Appeal, by the Numbers

Religious Education, $138,000
REMEX (Religious Education and Media Exchange) $84,000

The Religious Education office and REMEX includes teacher training programs, curriculum development, workshops, continuing education and shared media for parishes.

REMEX enables parishes who do not have the ability to purchase their own materials access to many great resources, according to Cindy Muenchrath, director of the diocesan REMEX office and associate director of the Office for Religious Education.

Funding from the appeal will go toward purchasing resources, maintaining staff, Web sites and an on-line catalog, ministerial training and other activities.
Don Kurre, director of religious education, said their services include "serving the parishes of the diocese in development and maintaining effective catechetical programs with office staff available to work with pastors, parish councils, principals, coordinators, parish and/or school catechists, parent groups at at charge to providing training and resources necessary to establish effective catechetical programs.

Safe Environment Program, $25,000

The Safe Environment for Our Children and Youth Program is mandated by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in response to the sexual abuse.
In June 2002, the USCCB recommended the church to deal appropriately with cases of sexual abuse of minors by priests, deacons and other church personnel.

Diocesan chancellor, Father Mike McDermott said the diocese would rather be proactive than reactive.

"That's just something we want to improve or enhance in any way," he said. "The appeal i8s a way to say it's important and we want people to know that."
Bethe Heidt, Ph.D., is a victim assistance coordinator and a safe environment program committee member. She said it's important to help chilren be safe and teach children to be safe, wherever they may be.

The Diocese of Grand Island has implemented the following preventive
measures: training of parents, ministers, educators, church personnel, volunteers and others involved with minors; training to address the prevention, identification, response and reporting of sexual abuse cases; codes of conduct which will be formulated and presented to all who work/ minister to children and ongoing education.

"The Safe Environment (amount) is not a lot of money, but it's critically important to provide the safest possible environment for our children, for our youth," Bishop Dendinger said.

Higher Ground/TEC, $26,900

Higher Ground is a five-day retreat experience offerec at three different levels of age groups ranging from sophomores in high school to freshmen in college.
According to Father Jim Golka, pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church in Scottsbluff and director of the Higher Ground program, this summer will mark the 40th year of this retreat experience being offered in the diocese, formerly known as Outward Bound.

The mission of Higher Ground, he said, is to create and environment where Christian community may be experienced. The activities provide an enjoyable opportunity for the young people to develop a deeper sense of self, to build positive relationships with others and to grow closer to God. The goal is not profound religious awareness or spiritual conversion, he said, but to give participants, a sound, healthy, enjoyable experience of what involvement in the faith community called "church" can be.

"The annual appeal helps to make this program accessible to more of our youth," Father Golka said.

TEC (Teens Encounter Christ) is another program designed especially for young people from juniors of high school to age 23. TEC provides a space to reflect upon "your ideal self, hopes, dreams and problems and to discover a God you can believe in, a Christ you can encounter as risen and alive in your midst."
Several thousand young adults in this country and around the world have experienced TEC as a new fresh, exciting atmosphere away from the pressures of home and school where they could meet and share with other young people from different cities, neighborhoods and schools.

Vocations Office, $96,700

Bishop Dendinger noted that Vocations was another obvious area of need.
The Vocation office coordinates efforts to help men called by God to the priesthood to say "yes" to that all; provides seminary training and summer ministry experience and works with each seminarian individually and personally during their years of formation.

"Vocations are critical in this diocese," Bishop Dendinger said. "We have to make a better thrust."

In 2004, the late Bishop Lawrence J. McNamara recognized the need for priests and created a new office for a full-time vocation director, appointing Father José Chavez.

Father Chabez said, by taking him out of a parish setting and placing him in a full-time position, showed its importance for the late Bishop McNamara and now to Bishop Dendinger.

Father Chavez said he hopes to continue to travel throughout the diocese promoting the culture of vocations.

College Campus Ministry (Kearney and Chadron campuses) $118,000

The College Campus Ministry consists of programs at the Kearney and Chadron campus for weekend Masses, retreats, group prayer and discussion groups in addition to social and community service activities.

"A lot of kids come into their own and find their faith," Bishop Dendinger said. "But you have to be honest, some Catholics fall through the cracks and their practicing of their faith diminishes. That's where we want to spend some money.

At Chadron, students can experience cross-cultural liturgical experiences and guest speakers addressing religious, social, vocational and/or cultural liturgical experiences. The campus also concentrates on integrating the students in the parish and parish ministries and building community among the Catholic students.

Ministry at Kearney includes pastoral counseling, RCIA, Bible study and much more.

Genevieve O'Connor, director of Catholic Campus Ministry at the Newman Center at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, said the organization provides "Christian Catholic answers, faith filled, spiritual and social activities to a diverse college community."

Retired Priests Supplemental Medical Insurance, $125,400

Supplemental medical insurance for retired priests, while self-explanatory, Bishop Dendinger said, not everyone understands that the program is for those priests who are over age 65 and retired.

"Their insurance, which is Medicare, needs some kind of supplement."
Retired Father Bob Rooney is one such priest. In August 2002, Father Rooney, former pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church in Ord, was involved in a serious accident and spent approximately eight months in a variety of hospitals and rehabilitation centers. His sister, Karen Colleran, has acted as conservator handling most of his medical paperwork.

"We, as a family didn't have the money," she said. "It (the supplemental
insurance) allowe4d us, after he went through all his rehabilitation, to take him back to his home instead of an assisted living center. That was a major asset to us in planning his future and his retirement."

Colleran said without the help of the supplemental insurance, he would not have been able to get back to the quality of lie he was wishing for.
Retired Father Ted Nekoliczak also understands the importance of having supplemental insurance. Last year, he underwent heart surgery that required a considerable amount of rehabilitation. "If we didn't have what we have," he said, "I'd been sunk without it."

West Nebraska Register/Outreach, $158,000

The West Nebraska Register, the diocesan newspaper, is critically important for evangelization, outreach and adult education, Bishop Dendinger said. The option to decrease the amount, he said, is simply not an option.

"It's expensive," Bishop Dendinger admitted, "but it's important for reaching all the registered members of the diocese."

The West Nebraska Register with over 18,000 Catholic families in the Diocese of Grand Island, builds a sense of community by helping individuals realize that they are not practicing their Catholic faith alone, said editor Mary Parlin.
"The West Nebraska Register is used not only an an evangelization tool, but also educates people about their faith and keeps people informed of important news and activities. By reaching each Catholic household in our diocese we are providing them a broadened view of the church today’internatlly, nationally, as well as local."

Parlin said that the diocesean newspaper, which got its start 75 years ago, is probably the only Catholic publication that most parishioners in the diocese receive.

The office of the West Nebraska Register not only functions as the official newspaper for the Diocese of Grand Island, but also helps other offices in their diocese with their publication needs.

Why is This Appeal Needed?

Your own very personal support is clearly needed to help the ministries in our Diocese continue to meet the challenges of tomorrow. The Church, in following the teachings of Christ, invites people to follow Christ's example to be good stewards of the gifts in our lives. Together, we can made a positive difference.

Where your gifts go ...
Religious Education—$138,000
REMEX—$84,000
West Nebraska Register Outreach—$158,000
Retired Priests Supplemental Medical Insurance—$125,400
College Campus Ministry (Chadron and Kearney)—$118,000
Vocation Office—$96,700
Higher Ground/TEC—$26,000
Safe Environment Program—$25,000