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Dividends to parishes
Students start helping in parishes now

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
(Email Katie)

Catholic schools in the Diocese of Sioux City provide students with dividends to use in the future, but also provide opportunities to put those skills and virtues to practice at their parishes.

Bring life to congregation
The kindergarten through sixth graders at Danbury Catholic may be limited to what they can do to help during the liturgy at St. Mary Church, but they help as much as they can in other ways.

According to Father Terry Roder, pastor at St. Mary’s in Danbury, the students help with outreach to the shut-ins and elderly, as well as visiting nursing homes in the area.

“They are available to help with little things – staple something to the bulletin board, carry candles in and out of church or when we need the hymnals changed out,” said the priest. “They are ready and willing to help care for the church. They see firsthand that if they didn’t do these things, who would do them?”

The students also help with adopt-a-family. They go Christmas shopping for families that the church has adopted. Father Roder commented that the students are very enthusiastic about helping with this project.

During weekly liturgies, the students are able to be cantors, lectors and servers. They also participate in Masses for special occasions.

“They are learning to be active and hopefully they will carry that out into their adult life,” said Father Roder. “It gives great joy to people and to God to do so. They give life to the congregation.”

The students have the opportunity to get involved with parish dinners and breakfasts. The older students set up the tables for funeral dinners.

“They get a broader idea of what parish life is about,” said the pastor. “The younger you learn things, the longer, better it sticks with you. Teaching them what the church does and the more often you can show them and tell them the good things of the Lord makes their faith stronger. It will help them develop into good Christian men and women. That is a blessing for the world.”

Important asset
The students at St. Patrick School in Sheldon participate in the all school liturgies at St. Patrick Church as servers, gift bearers, lectors and ushers. The students also act as servers for other Masses during the week and on weekends.

“This is the age at which they will follow through,” said Father Robert Schimmer, pastor at St. Patrick Church in Sheldon. “If we wait until after they are out of school, they probably won’t participate because they have no experience with it.”

The students also help as waiters and with clean up for parish dinners.

“The school is an important asset to the parish. I think it brings out the faith of the parents who support the school. The parents are very supportive of the work the kids do,” said Father Schimmer.

Keeping the church alive
At Nativity Church in Sioux City, Father Jerry Feierfeil, pastor, said they “depend” on the students to serve Mass. Mater Dei-Nativity Center is located next to the church.

“We are getting them in the habit of not just coming to Mass, but realizing that they need to be the people to keep the church alive, well and active,” he said. “For the adults, it is very encouraging. They give witness of their own faith, their own practice to the adults. I think it is very reassuring that they see another generation coming along.”

The priest mentioned that there was an addition of a youth Mass the last Sunday of the month. The youth of the parish help as singers, ushers, lectors and all the things they can do.

“They are the next generation of adult Catholics, so we want them to be well practiced,” said the priest. “We appreciate what they do at the liturgy. We need servers and people to sing to make our Sunday liturgies what they are meant to be.”

The students also help when there are events such as the Lenten fish fries and parish dinners. Father Feierfeil mentioned that some of the students who help are Boy Scouts.

“It builds up to a peak in the year of confirmation when we specify that they have to give some evidence of service to the church, to the community and to their families,” said the priest. “It is simply taking on the role that their parents are taking care of right now.”

Heelan students come and do anything the parish needs done, especially in the fall of the year, said the pastor. The students also help the custodial staff with things they need done.

“They are extremely helpful. Whenever we have odd jobs that need doing, they are there to do them,” said Father Feierfeil.

Doing their part
The students at Emmetsburg Catholic help with serving and ushering during Mass at Holy Family Church in Emmetsburg. They also act as lectors for the all-school Masses.

Father Clement Currans, pastor at Holy Family, mentioned that the students also give to the parish by donating to the collection.

Some of the students help with the four-, five- and six-year-olds’ program during the liturgy of the word at Mass. They also help serve at Knights of Columbus dinners.

“It is good for them because they are more a part of things,” said Father Currans. “They do their part. They are involved and invested in it so it means more to them.”