Comedy and Cuisine

Mrs Lyons and Mrs Garcia are great! Let me say it this way, being in a classroom of 31 kids isn’t always easy. Sometimes it’s loud or crazy and all I can think sometimes is “poor teachers”! I know they love everyone of us, but they can get really frustrated. This has been going for 2 school years now and yes, it’s fun, but I think it drives them a little nutty. Mrs Lyons is the most entertaining teacher I have ever had. She will always make you laugh, then say “it’s not funny”. In a room of 31 kids that makes it even funnier! Mrs Garcia is very kind to all of us. We only have 8 boys in our entire grade so it’s really fun when they get into trouble by her.
— Holly Banark, 6th grader

Thank you Mrs Buchan for the wonderful things you’ve done for me. My favorite thing about you as a teacher is you taught me cursive in 2nd grade. Thank you also Mrs Jacobsen, 4th grade is great. I love the Classical music you play and the Odysseys you put on. I really like you and Mrs Buchan!
— Tyler Banark, 4th grader

Mrs Gerken is great. I had her for 2nd grade and she left for a little while to have a baby. She came to our Valentine party and brought her new baby, Lucy Mary to it. It was soooo much fun. I also want to thank her for letting me be line leader the first week of school. I love that job.
— Katie Banark, 3rd grader

Teachers, We treasure you! From The O’Connor Family

Dear Mrs Gerken, Thank you for making me have such a great second grade last year.
Love, Genevieve Bucher

To: Sherri Heimerman, Crystal Gerken, Margaret Swanson and in loving memory of Rose Lubbert; you are, in the words of a certain 9 year old girl, all ROCK STARS! Thank you for being more than her teachers. Thank you for being true models of faith, compassion and human dignity! God bless you all!
— The Severes Family

Thank you for upholding the Dominican tradition. Sincerely, Brian and Jana Donahoe

Crystal Gerken, you are an amazing teacher. We truly appreciate everything you do. Your thoughtfulness shows in so many ways. You always know the perfect way to make our daughter feel special. You listen with patience and give of yourself instilling a love of learning. Thank you for being such a positive influence on our child’s life.
— Jeff and Janice Lang

Dear Teachers,
You definitely are our treasure that leads our children into our future. Throughout the years you have given our children direction when they have seem to have lost their way. Our parents trusted you with us and now we trust you with our children. The tradition of St. Cecilia's education has been and continues to be carried out by your everlasting dedication to our children. Like my husband always tells our children, "The teachers liked me so much that they had me go to school six days a week!" Obliviously, this is where the redirection back onto the right path comes into play! We could not prepare our children for their next step in life after St. Cecilia's without you. We definitely have a "pot of gold" at the end of our rainbow!
— Ruth Hogan Maguire

St Cecilia School - those words will always be a part of me for the rest of my life. When I first came to St Cecilia, I was beginning the seventh grade. I was very scared to be a transfer student, but that all changed quickly. When I walked into the school doors for the first time, I was immediately swamped by a bunch of my new classmates. They were greeting me and welcoming me to St Cecilia. I was overwhelmed by all the attention I was getting. I knew most of my classmates by the end of my first day and I even met many upper classmen as they came up to meet me. I have and will always love St Cecilia. It is like one big family. Everyone knows each other and it’s an amazing feeling when a younger student stops to say hello to you when you’re walking down the hall. Going to St Cecilia has touched my life at a young age, even though I have only been here for two years. I have been blessed to attend St Cecilia, to have met so many friends I will keep for life, to have shared so many laughs, and to have learned so much. I will miss St Cecilia and everything associated with it. The teachers are all very nice and will always help you with any questions you have. They are always smiling when they greet you in class and they keep a great sense of humor. They make learning fun. I have been blessed to be able to attend St Cecilia and for this I am thankful. St Cecilia will always have a special place in my heart and I will miss everything about it. GO CARDINALS!!!
— Zane Zitek, 8th Grader

To the Faculty – Thank you for carrying on a tradition of excellence in education, and your dedication to our children! We appreciate you every day!
— Swartz Family

We decided to attend St Cecilia’s for many reasons, but through the years, have come to realize that the reason we love this school and would never send our children elsewhere is due to the fabulous teachers! Our 3 daughters have had many teachers over the past 7 years and we feel blessed every year. They are so talented, experienced, supportive and loving and we feel we could never find this great of a combination elsewhere. Thank you so much, all of the St. Cecilia’s wonderful faculty, for all that you do each and every day!
— Lammers Family

Thank you St. Cecilia teachers for helping us raise our children. You mirror the values, faith and discipline we work to instill in them, in a world that can easily lead in different direction.

When Thomas was in kindergarten our family went through something really difficult. We shared with Mrs. Luebbert and she nurtured, loved and prayed with Thomas. She was nurturing us at the same time - without even knowing it!

We have saved many notes sent home by the teachers over the years... notes of concern, notes of praise, disciplinary action, compliments. I am sure we will get a laugh over many of them when our kids are grown! When Thomas lost his grandma last summer, he received many notes of sympathy from past teachers. It meant so much to him - and all of us. The care extends past the classroom which we have experienced so many times.

We can't imagine entrusting our kids with any other group of teachers. Thank you again for being so wonderful!
— Lisa and Tom Prem

Purchase a glass of champagne and you could be wearing these beautiful diamond hoop earrings.

• 14 karat white gold diamond “inside/outside” hoop earrings, pave-set with round brilliant diamonds.
• Weighing a total of 0.40 carats.
• H (near colorless) in color and SI-I in clarity.
• Appraised Value: $1200

Grain & Gadget

Purchase a specialty beer at a designated table for a chance to win an iPod touch

May the road rise up to meet you,

May the wind be always at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

The rains fall soft upon your fields

And, until we meet again,

May God hold you in the

hollow of His hand.

The number of students she taught can be counted,

but the number of lives she has touched cannot.

Her sweet smile and gentle spirit will be dearly missed,

but never forgotten.

We miss you Rose...Our Treasure

2010 Comedy & Cuisine Honors
Our Outstanding Faculty

Our award-winning faculty is also being honored at this year’s Comedy & Cuisine. Our outstanding faculty carries on the Dominican tradition of educating the whole child in academics, faith and service to community. The faculty’s success is demonstrated, in part, by the numerous awards of distinction that have been awarded to St. Cecilia Cathedral Grade School.

• One of only two schools in the State of Nebraska to receive a "Blue Ribbon" award for academic excellence from the U.S. Department of Education in 2007.
• Recognized for outstanding programs in the arts by the Nebraska Alliance for Arts Education and the Nebraska Council of School Administrators in 2006.
• Recognized as a National Exemplary School by the U.S. Department of Education.
• Awarded the Creighton University Presidential Medallion in 2006.
• Our faculty serves on National Workshop committees for the National Catholic Education Association and has contributed to the national curriculum.

More importantly, their success is evidenced by our children’s successes. As we know, St. Cecilia graduates have consistently demonstrated academic success in addition to successes in faith and service. For all of these reasons, we feel lucky and blessed to have our children educated by these dedicated and talented teachers. Please read on to get a tiny glimpse of their extreme talent, commitment to partnering with us to educate our children’s minds, bodies and souls, and more importantly, their undevoted dedication to our children.

We are blessed to have such a wonderful faculty to influence our children every day!

Thank you!

As a token of our appreciation for the dedicated faculty of St. Cecilia Grade School, Comedy & Cuisine 2010 will make a donation to allow for the implementation of a St. Cecilia Faculty Garden which will be established this Summer on our campus.

The garden will be in honor of our teachers, and in recognition of the loss of their dear friend and extraordinary gardener - Rose Luebbert.

Teachers Wish List

As you can imagine, our teachers are continually striving for the best methods and tools to help our children grow academically and spiritually. To help them out, we have placed donation cards on your table to help raise funds to purchase items from each teacher’s Wish List. If you would like to show your support of our outstanding teachers by donating towards a Wish List item, simply fill out the Wish List Donation form that has been placed on your table, or at the Wish List table in the silent auction area. Please join us in honoring our teachers for their continued dedication and commitment to our children’s education by donating towards their Wish Lists.

We honor our award-winning faculty!

Principal: Mrs. Paulette Rourke

has been the School’s Principal since the fall of 2008 after teaching for 35 years in grades 5 - 8. Mrs. Rourke’s son and daughter are both graduates of St. Cecilia. Her awards include: National Catholic Education Association Distinguished Teacher and Omaha Archdiocese Metro Elementary Teacher of the Year.

Secretary: Mrs. Theresa Tworek-Jensen

is the School’s Secretary and the comforting face and welcoming voice that greets our children, parents and visitors to our school. Mrs. Tworek-Jensen has been with St. Cecilia for eight years, with six years as a para-professional and the last two years as secretary of the school. Mrs. Tworek-Jensen’s son is an 8th grader and her older children are graduates of St. Cecilia.

Pre-Kindergarten: Mrs. Crystal Gerken

is the school’s Pre-Kindergarten teacher. Mrs. Gerken has been teaching for six years, with the last four of them being at St. Cecilia's. She completed her student teaching at St. Cecilia with Mrs. Swanson. She has three children attending St. Cecilia and her fourth child is due on the night of this event!

Kindergarten: Mrs. Rose Luebbert

had been our St. Cecilia Kindergarten teacher for the last 20 years. She started teaching at St. Cecilia 25 years ago, opened the pre-school 23 years ago, taught 1st grade for one year, and then found her home in the Kindergarten classroom. Our St. Cecilia school family lost this extraordinary kindergarten teacher to cancer this year and her immediate family lost someone even more memorable than a kindergarten teacher… a truly wonderful wife, a mother and a beautiful friend and gardener. Her three children are graduates of St. Cecilia, and were taught by her. We have memories of the gingerbread man, the Letter People and more importantly her comforting hugs and her compassion and patience in teaching kindergarteners which will forever be engrained in the spirit of our school. We will miss her dearly and are so grateful to have known her. May God hold her in the palm of His hand and provide comfort and peace to her family.

Kindergarten: Mrs. Bridget Morton

has served as the school’s substitute Kindergarten teacher throughout the last two school years. Mrs. Morton’s selfless giving at a time of such great need for the school family speaks volumes of her generosity. Her two sons currently attend St. Cecilia and she, herself, is a graduate of St. Cecilia.

First Grade: Mrs. Margaret Swanson

is the school’s 1st grade teacher and has served as the student teacher instructor for several teachers. She has been teaching for 39 years, with 37 of those years being at St. Cecilia. In all of that time, we can’t imagine that any one of her students has EVER heard her raise her voice! Mrs. Swanson is herself a graduate of St. Cecilia's Elementary School and Cathedral High School and her son and daughter are also graduates of St. Cecilia.

Second Grade: Mrs. Dorothy Buchan

is the school’s 2nd grade teacher. She has been teaching for 33 years, with 29 of those years being at St. Cecilia. Mrs. Buchan is an extremely effective and disciplined, yet compassionate teacher, not only for the students but the parents as well. Many students try to see if they can grow to be taller than her before they leave 2nd grade! She is a graduate of St. Cecilia Elementary School and Cathedral High School, and her five children are graduates of the grade school.

Third Grade: Mrs. Sherri Heimerman

is the school’s 3rd grade teacher. She has been teaching for 25 years, with the last 14 of those years being at St. Cecilia. Mrs. Heimerman has five children, all of whom attended St. Cecilia and three of which are currently in college, one is currently in high school and a son who is in 8th grade at St. Cecilia.

Fourth Grade: Mrs. Deb Jacobsen

is the school’s 4th grade teacher. She has been teaching for 14 years, all of which have been at St. Cecilia. She has three children - two sons who have graduated from St. Cecilia and a daughter in 8th grade at St. Cecilia.

Fourth Grade: Mrs. Tammy Mateljan<.dt>

also teaches 4th grade at St. Cecilia. She has been teaching for 12 years, all of which have been at St. Cecilia’s. She is a graduate of St. Cecilia Elementary School and Cathedral High School. Both of her children are students at St. Cecilia.

Fifth Grade: Mrs. Cathy Lyons

teaches 5th grade, and is one of the school’s most energetic and charismatic cheerleaders! She has been teaching for 28 years, with 25 of those years being at St. Cecilia. She has taught Kindergarten, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and for the past 15 years 5th and 6th grades. Mrs. Lyons graduated from St. Cecilia Elementary School and Cathedral High School. Her three children are graduates of St. Cecilia.

Fifth Grade: Mrs. Kristi Cornelius

also teaches 5th grade at St. Cecilia. Mrs. Cornelius has been teaching for 23 years, with 21 of those years being at St. Cecilia. Her daughter attends St. Cecilia.

Sixth Grade: Mrs. Milly Garcia

is the school’s 6th grade teacher. She has been teaching for 33 years, with 20 of those years being at St. Cecilia. She taught 4th grade for three years and has taught 6th grade ever since. Mrs. Garcia has three children, all of whom graduated from St. Cecilia.

Seventh Grade: Mr. Michael Kelly

is one of the school’s 7th grade teacher and the school’s tie fashion trend-setter! Mr. Kelly has been teaching for 41 years, with seven of those years being at St. Cecilia. Mr. Kelly teaches Junior High English.

Seventh Grade: Mrs. Deborah Rosenberg

also teaches 7th grade at St. Cecilia. Mrs. Rosenberg has been teaching for 30 years, with two of those years being at St. Cecilia. Mrs. Rosenberg teaches Junior High Math.

Eighth Grade: Mr. John Pakiz

is the school’s 8th grade teacher. Mr. Pakiz has been teaching for 15 years, all of which have been at St. Cecilia. Mr. Pakiz was student taught under Mrs. Rourke. Mr. Pakiz teaches Junior High Social Studies.

Eighth Grade: Mrs. Tara Petersen

also teaches 8th grade. Mrs. Petersen has been teaching for 15 years, all of which have been at St. Cecilia. She teaches Junior High Science and was student taught under Mrs. Rourke.

Music: Mrs. Carol Walters

is the school’s Music teacher. She has been teaching for 31 years, with 24 of those years being at St. Cecilia. Her son and daughter attended St. Cecilia.

Physical Education: Mrs. Karen Millmann

is the school’s Physical Education teacher. She has been teaching for one year at St. Cecilia. Mrs. Millman is a graduate of the University of St. Thomas.

Library: Miss Susie Livingston

is the school’s Librarian and Computer Resource teacher (and sometimes the photographer too!). She has been teaching for 28 years, all of which have been at St. Cecilia. Miss Livingston is a graduate of St. Cecilia.

Technology: Mrs. Kelly Hickey

is the school’s Technology Coordinator and Network Administrator. She has been teaching for seven years, all of which have been at St. Cecilia. Mrs. Hickey’s daughter is a graduate of St. Cecilia and she has a son and daughter who currently attend St. Cecilia.

Art: Mrs. Frances Fitzpatrick

is the school’s Art teacher. She has been teaching for 20 years, with 10 of those years being at St. Cecilia.

Para-Professional: Mrs. Jill Stoffel

is also a para-professional assisting with teaching Pre-Kindergarten. She has been teaching at St. Cecilia for two years. Mrs. Stoffel’s son is currently a student at St. Cecilia.

Para-Professional: Mrs. Deb Kirschenman

is a para-professional assisting with teaching the 3rd grade. She has been teaching for two years, all of which have been at St. Cecilia. Mrs. Kirschenman has a daughter who is currently a student at St. Cecilia.

Para-Professional: Mrs. Jean Batenhorst-Smith

is also a para-professional assisting with teaching Kindergarten. She has been teaching for two years, all of which have been at St. Cecilia. Mrs. Batenhorst-Smith is a St. Cecilia Grade School and Cathedral High School graduate. She has four children who are currently students at St. Cecilia.

2010 Comedy & Cuisine HonorsThe Wilwerding Family as Great Family

Acts of Service

Over the years, Leo, along with his late wife,Marlene, served as stewards on countless projects at St. Cecilia Cathedral, for boththe parish and the school. The contributions of the Wilwerding family to St. Cecilia are countless… as well as priceless! The Wilwerding family have been directly involved in a plethora of volunteer projects for St.Cecilia. Their broad spectrum of service ranges from the many physical and restorative projects that involved painting, sanding, varnishing, insulating, welding, digging and building, to their presence and service as school board members, Cathedralfest captains, funeral lunch committee members, the list goes on and on. Sharing their talents and time with the St. Cecilia community was a way of life for Marlene and Leo. They lead by example, instilling these values in their children and children's-children which is evident in their stewardship today.

Acts of Love

Not only have there been countless acts of service by the Wilwerding family to St. Cecilia but the manner in which these acts of service were carried out truly demonstrates the self-less giving to St. Cecilia - their acts of Love. The personal dedication toeach of these acts of service, the sacrifice of time, and their belief that only the best is good enough for St. Cecilia is evident time after time.

The Wilwerding Children: A strong presence at St. Cecilia

For the last 60 years, there has been a Wilwerding attending St. Cecilia school almost every year. As a matter of fact, there are currently eight Wilwerding’sattending St. Cecilia Cathedral Grade School consisting of the following seven grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
As you can see, the Wilwerding family brings three generations of service tothe school and the parish. We are delighted to honor and recognize their commitment to all things Cathedral.

Thank you Wilwerding Family

Hors d'oeuvres

Mini Puff Pastry Shells filled with Stilton Blue Cheese with Walnuts & Dried Apricots

Cajun Shredded Pork Crepes with Queso Fresco and Chorizo Hollandaise

Rolled Phyllo Cigarettes filled with Red Peppers, Pinenuts, Spinach, and Ricotta Cheese

Salad

Mixed Greens with Dried Cranberries, Candied Walnuts, Feta Cheese & Red Onions in a Port Wine Raisin Vinaigrette

Entree

Roasted and Sliced Beef Sirloin with Brandy Peppercorn Sauce

Vegetarian Option: Bell Pepper filled with Roasted Eggplant & Artichoke Risotto finished with a Roasted Red Pepper Aioli

Side Dishes

Aged White Cheddar Whipped Potatoes

Green Beans Almondine

Dessert

Grilled Pineapple Cheesecake Martini with Graham Cracker Strudel & Caramel Rum Sauce

Menu by Catering Creations

No one knew exactly what to expect in the early 1970s when the Archdiocese of Omaha started a program of ordaining married men as permanent deacons. Vatican II had recently revived the permanent diaconate, and dioceses around the world were figuring out how married men would serve as ministers in local churches.

Joked Father Pat McCaslin, the Omaha Archdiocese’s original director of the program, “We weren’t even sure if you spelled deaconate with a d-i or a d-e.”

The archdiocese’s first deacon class of 16 included four men from St. Cecilia Cathedral – Rev. Mr. Joe Archibald, Rev. Mr. Dave Gurney, Rev. Mr. Fred Sommer, and Rev. Mr. Jim Watson. They already were involved in the life of the Church. All were extraordinary ministers of the Eucharist. Archibald, Gurney and Sommer were very active in the St. Vincent de Paul Society.

They soon showed parishioners what to expect: men who would devote much of their lives to service in the Church. They played important roles on the altar on weekends. And they took that spiritual energy with them to “be Christ in the world” all week.

Rev. Mr. Gurney and his wife, Helga, had eight children. Rev. Mr. Sommer and his wife, Virginia, had six children. Rev. Mr. Watson and his wife, Jean, had three children. Rev. Mr. Archibald was single, and very involved in the Knights of Columbus, Big Brothers and social justice work.

After a three-year formation, they were ordained June 24, 1973. Fr. Paul Peter, who was then pastor at St. Cecilia, gave the deacons tasks of leading baptism classes and preparing the prayers of the faithful. Fr. Peter also had the deacons organize a list of Cathedral parishioners in nursing homes, assisted living centers or otherwise homebound, and regularly visit them. “This became then a deacon thing,” said Fr. Michael Gutgsell, St. Cecilia pastor. To this day, Gurney “has a tremendous hospital and assisted living network, visiting people every week or two weeks,” Fr. Gutgsell said. The deacons also worked in marriage preparation.

Rev. Mr. Jim and Jean Watson were part of the archdiocese’s “Evenings for the Engaged.” In 1972, Watson told the Catholic Voice that deacons were called to be “men of commitment and faith . . . men attempting to meet the needs of the people of God in the 20th century.”

And the 21st century too, as it turns out. They have served for more than three decades. Rev. Mr. Sommer moved to St. Philip Neri in the 1980s and continued to serve as a deacon there, but always has maintained contact with St. Cecilia’s. Rev. Mr. Watson and Rev. Mr. Archibald served at Cathedral as deacons well into this decade, until injuries from accidents made it tough for them to get around. Rev. Mr. Gurney remains active as a deacon at the Cathedral.

“These guys really did set a pattern of what deacon would mean in the archdiocese,” Fr. McCaslin said. It was, he said, a pattern of “good, holy men with lots of empathy and accommodation of other people’s needs.” Cathedral’s first class of deacons, whom we honor tonight, quietly made their whole lives reflections of the service to which they were called.

5:30 p.m.

Cocktails
Music by Saint Cecilia Camerata
Silent Auction Items open for bidding

7:15 p.m.

Invocation
Dinner
Welcome by Travis Justice

7:30 - Silent Auction Items begin to Close

7:30 p.m.

Kids and Personal Services

7:40 p.m.

Food & Entertainment and Great Outdoors

7:50 p.m.

Sports and School Spirit

8:00 p.m.

Home Sweet Home and Art & Jewelry

8:00 p.m. - Following Dinner

Introduction of Honorary Chairs

The original Deacon class of 1972

Joe Archibald
Dave Gurney
Fred Sommer
Jim Watson

Presentation of Great Family Award

The Leo Wilwerding Family

Special Honorees

St. Cecilia's Outstanding Faculty

Video Entertainment

Featuring St. Cecilia Students

8:30 p.m. - Live Auction

8:25 p.m.

Super Silent

8:55 p.m.

Class Art Projects

Grain and Gadget, Baubles and Bubbles

5:30 - 8:00 p.m.

Grain and Gadget

Baubles and Bubbles

9:00 p.m.

Winners Announced

Music & Dancing until 11:00

Baubles and Bubbles

Purchase a glass of champagne and you could be wearing these beautiful diamond hoop earings.

• 14 K white gold and diamond "inside / outside" hoop earings
• Weighing a total of 0.40 carats.
• H (near colorless) in color and SI-I in clarity.
• Appraised Value: $1200

Donated by Friends of St. Cecilia

Grain and Gadget

Purchase a specialty beer at a designated table for a chance to win an iPod touch

Bid Early & Bid Often!

Dear Parents, Alumni, and Friends, Dear Friends of St. Cecilia —

Welcome
and thank you for attending the 13th annual Comedy & Cuisine. We are so grateful for the overwhelming support of the parish, alumni, parents and friends who have gathered tonight to
“Celebrate Our Students”.

Our honorary chairpersons represent the longstanding commitment to the Cathedral parish that has come to define our parish. Joe Archibald, Dave Gurney, Fred Sommer, and Jim Watson were members of the first deacon class for the archdiocese in 1973. We thank them for their contributions to the spiritual development of our parish.

St. Cecilia Cathedral parish has been blessed with many families who have remained committed to the school and parish for many generations. We honor Leo Wilwerding and his family as our Great Family. Our school has been blessed with a Wilwerding in the halls for the last 60 years, and there are still 8 grandchildren or great grandchildren in our school. We thank them for their countless behind the scenes acts that have been so instrumental over the last six decades. Our great families are our tradition.

Where would we be without the dedicated faculty of St. Cecilia grade school? We honor them tonight in a very special way. The selfless devotion of these individuals to the mission of a faith-based education defines the character of St. Cecilia Grade School. We can not celebrate our students without honoring and thanking our faculty – they truly are our treasure.

This event would not be possible without the countless volunteers who are dedicated to St. Cecilia Grade school. We thank Fr. Gutgsell, Paulette Rourke, the entire faculty, past chairpersons, and all the dedicated volunteers who spend countless hours to make this event a success. We sincerely thank the chairpersons for Comedy & Cuisine 2011, Christopher Burbach and Judith Nygren, and Brian and Lyn Rhoten, and we wish you lots of luck! And finally, we thank our own children for their patience over the last several months, and for reminding us of the importance of this great event and wonderful school.

Finally, thank you for being here tonight. Your dollars raised at this event will further the school’s mission of excellence in Catholic education. Join us as we celebrate our students – they are our future.

Enjoy the evening!

Michael and Kimberly Joyce
2010 Co-Chairs

Mike and Julie Swartz
2010 Co-Chairs