Confirmation students send items overseas

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
April 20, 2006

SALIX - Students at St. Joseph Church in Salix sent items to soldiers overseas as part of their service before receiving the sacrament of confirmation.

Eight of the confirmation students from St. Joseph Parish were involved with the project. The students included Billy Peterson, Taylor Grote, Jerid Schumacher, Kyle Fletcher, Jacob Christenson, Brett Jenness, Taylor Dion and Aaron Zyzda.

According to Father Patrick O'Kane, pastor at St. Joseph in Salix and St. John in Onawa, service should be "the hallmark of any committed follower of Christ."

"Service is not just for those preparing for confirmation, but for all of us it should be one of the things we are really committed to," said Father O'Kane. "That is why preparing for confirmation and asking the kids to get involved with things like this is so important, so after confirmation and as they grow into adulthood that that is an important part of their life, too. It is such a part of the Gospel."

The father of one of the confirmation candidates, David Grote, was in Kosovo for a year and is in his second year back home. Since he had served overseas, he knew what types of items the soldiers would be in need of. He knew that the soldiers liked to get packages and some regular items sent to them.

"I am retired from the army and was recently deployed," said Grote. "We wanted to show them that we are thinking about them and praying for them."

The students have done other service projects such as work at the soup kitchen in Sioux City and the food pantry in Sergeant Bluff, but the project for the soldiers allowed them to help the broader community. There are parishioners from Salix and Onawa St. John's Parish who are guard members and currently serving.

"Since there were a few local units deployed as well as all the people in the parish, we thought we would choose this project," said Grote.

In a letter to Father O'Kane, the confirmation students thanked him for supporting the project and making announcements during church. The parishes in Salix and Onawa raised money to help the confirmation students purchase and send the items to the soldiers.

"We are very happy and the soldiers will be, too," stated the letter from the students. "We have learned many lessons from this project. We also enjoyed picking out items for the soldiers."

The confirmants collected about 70 DVDs, 50 video games and various prayer cards. They purchased many toiletry items (shaving cream, tooth brushes, razors, etc.), magazines and a Nintendo 64 was donated. They also bought over 15,000 minutes of phone cards, so the soldiers would be able to call home for free.

"I thought the project was wonderful because sometimes we forget about our military personnel," said Father O'Kane. "These days it can be kind of controversial. We have found that we have a lot of sons and daughters from our parishes - grandsons, granddaughters and relatives - that are involved in military service. We hope to remember them in prayer often. When we gather as a community, we will pray for their safety and well-being."

He continued that they pray in gratitude for all that the soldiers do for the country.

"There are several members of our parishes who are active in the 185th, so this helps us remember that and pray for all of them," said Father O'Kane.