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.