• 'We Remember' movie
• Faith and Values
• Advent Gift Bags
• Wake Up With The Homeless...Eat With The Poor
• Veteran's Day Prayer Service
• Anointing Mass
• Thanksgiving Feast
• Freshmen Retreat
• Sophomore Retreat
• Junior Retreat
• Pro-Life Mass
• Ash Wednesday Mass
• Stations of the Cross by 8th Grade
• Service
• Gehlen Mission Honduras
• Mission Honduras LeMars
• Kids Against Hunger
• Catholic Schools Week

Larger View During the sophomore retreat, students spent an hour in prayer as part of 40 Days of Life.

Compassion, Humility & Gratitude

On Thursday, October 16^th, members of the sophomore class at Gehlen Catholic boarded a bus for Sioux City by 8:00 A.M.  Dismissed from regular classes, the students spent the day obtaining education that can not be taught so quickly in a classroom or from a textbook.  The curriculum for the days’ lesson entailed heartfelt compassion, humility and gratitude. 

At the first stop, the students experienced the culture of the homeless of Siouxland at the Sioux City Gospel Mission where real life stories were shared.  Following a tour of the outreach center, the students bussed to Opportunities Unlimited, a facility that offers genuine hope to mentally impaired and severely brain injured victims.  Dividing into four work groups, the students rolled up their sleeves to help with yard work at nine sites operated by the center.  Boarding the bus for the third time, the students spent a devotional hour in prayer at the Planned Parenthood to support the 40 Day Prayer for Life. 

Director of Campus Ministries, Lisa (Langel, ’80) Sitzmann, reflected on the day, “I was extremely proud of these students.  They were taken out of their comfort zone at each stop and never batted an eye at the opportunity.  Instead, they were attentive, quick to respond and showed enormous character.” 

This service retreat had a focus which was to plant a seed in the hearts of these young students to lead a life of service as a Christian and to introduce them to the opportunities available within a short radius of Le Mars. Each sophomore will spend this school year preparing to confirm their commitment to the faith.  They will learn that one can not claim to be a Christian without reaching out in service.  The two go hand in hand.  They should continually grow from self-centeredness to selfless service as they mature in their faith and begin to understand the importance of reaching out with compassion. 

The day concluded with a prayer service in the chapel at Gehlen Catholic led by team leaders Drew Kellen, Tyler Meyer, Kayla Hatting and Danielle Gunter.  The students were reminded at the service that reaching out to others begins right here within the walls and halls of Gehlen Catholic.  “We must grow compassionate towards each other first, before we reach out… out there,” Sitzmann reminded as she pointed out the window.  The service ended with each student lighting their own candle to bring light where there is darkness in this world.