Churches make strides

grace johnson

Area churches have expanded in the last year, both literally and figuratively.

The First Christian Church Disciples of Christ in Nebraska City added an elevator, and an addition to St. Benedict’s Catholic Church in Nebraska City was completed February 2006. The addition has handicap accessibility, an updated confessional, a widened sidewalk for easier transport of caskets and a special area for baptisms.

St. Benedict’s celebrated 150 years with a trip to Rome in June and a special Mass July 9.

Other churches also reached important milestones in the last year. Members of St. Paulinus Catholic Church in Syracuse celebrated the church’s 100th anniversary Sunday, June 25. Luther Memorial Lutheran Church in Syracuse also celebrated an anniversary, their 90th, on Sunday, Sept. 24. Pastor Roger Hoffman’s 50th ordination anniversary was also celebrated that day.

The year also saw a site obtained for a Pentecostal Church at 917 N. 16th Street in Nebraska City. Members of the Apostolic Christian United Pentecostal congregation have been meeting at American National Bank.

Churches also expanded their offerings to the public. Fr. Mark Cyza, associate pastor at St. Mary’s Catholic Church, began offering Catholic Inquiry classes for anyone interested in learning more about the faith, and Rev. Jeff Kelley of the First United Methodist Church in Nebraska City announced that he will be offering an introductory course on Christianity in the spring.