The Prep Pulse

A journey to newness.

When nothing seems to be the same.

The fear seems so lame.

Openness, awe and a simple “yes”

Let me embrace

Makes it all so enriching

In this new place (Creighton Prep).

God has a plan …

Mother Mary’s “yes” has been for me the most inspiring and stirring word. It has initiated my journey and continues to enrich my vocation as a Jesuit. From a very tender age, I have heard of St. Francis Xavier whose relics lie in Goa, the Jesuit province to which I belong, the picturesque place I come from. One of the most touching aspects of Xavier’s life was this word, his swift and big-hearted “yes” to come to India.

It is a challenging word. But it is the most effective word when used to respond to God. All we have to say is a simple “yes.” It is the Lord who then transforms our response in the most magnanimous enterprise we could ever imagine.

A simple girl from Nazareth is now the queen of the universe.
A Xavier from Navarre is now the patron of missionaries all over the world.
All because of that profound word, “yes.”

One of the most common prayers, much more today, has been a prayer for vocations. There seems a certain fear towards commitments. This has led to a lack of vocations to religious/secular and married life. The fear of saying “yes” is so evident. Why?

Could it be a disintegration of personal faith? Could it be a dearth of edifying clergy/spouses? Is it an overpowering of secular self-sufficiency? Or a shallow satisfaction of immediate solutions? Being part of the Ignatian family, we ought to examine ourselves personally and as a community.

As I reflect on my life, I see that the underlying principle to say “yes” is to know that GOD HAS A PLAN. When we know that the hand of God always accompanies us, we get the courage needed to say “yes” to His plans.

Our response then is the Suscipe,

“Take Lord, and receive all my liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my entire will, all that I have and possess. Thou hast given all to me. To Thee, O Lord, I return it. All is Thine, dispose of it wholly according to Thy will. Give me Thy love and Thy grace, for this is sufficient for me.”

Fr. Amit D’Souza, SJ
Creighton Prep

Please join us in welcoming Fr. Amit D’Souza, SJ to the Jesuit community at Creighton Prep! Fr. D’Souza is from the state of Goa in India and has been a Jesuit priest since 2016. His experience in the Society of Jesus includes teaching, school administration and caring for elderly Jesuits. Beginning in early September, his responsibilities at Prep will involve a combination of sacramental and pastoral ministry, coaching and administration.

Fr. D’Souza’s educational background includes bachelor’s degrees in English and history, education and theology plus a master’s degree in philosophy. He also credits his Jesuit formation for refining and transforming him into the person he is today.

Classical guitar music, running, and encountering and engaging himself in learning from new cultures and people are just a few of his many interests. Say hello the next time you see him on campus!

Fine Arts teacher and Archdiocese of Omaha 2022 Educator of the Year Jeremy Caniglia ‘88 is one of eight superb teachers in Catholic schools to be honored at the 2022 Archbishop’s Dinner for Education on Thursday evening, September 22 at the CHI Health Center Omaha. This is a great event to celebrate Catholic educators and Catholic education and, also this year, to celebrate Jeremy and his exceptional work at Prep. Register here to attend.

Chamber Choir students Max Mangan '22 and Isaac Heng '23 performed liturgical songs on WOWT’s “Mass for Shut-Ins" on Sunday, September 18 at 10:30 a.m. Max and Isaac recorded the songs at the station this summer, and their vocal work will be on display for the next four weekends! A special thanks to Ms. Cecilia Jensen who accompanied the group during their recording experience.

Congratulations to Creighton Prep’s five semifinalists in the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program: John (Jack) Bonebrake, Trevor Gregg, Luke Meyer, Samuel Mullin and Tristan Trotter  

These academically gifted seniors will be considered for a National Merit Scholarship that will be announced in the spring. Once again, Prep has more semifinalists than any other private school in the state.

The five Prep students excelled on the 2021 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT), and less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors were named semifinalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program. This is an incredible achievement for our students and our school.

Have you signed up yet with PrepConnects, the dedicated networking platform exclusively for Prep alumni? Join the nearly 500 Prep alumni who are already on the site!

Get the latest Prep news, connect with classmates, start or join an affinity group, find mentoring opportunities, post a job and much more.

Once your profile is approved, enjoy the benefits of everything the platform has to offer. Visit PrepConnects.org today!

The annual Creighton Prep Reunion Weekend is slated for September 23-25. Many of the alumni classes ending in "2" and "7" have plans in place to celebrate together, and we hope you can join the fun!

Invitations have been sent out, and it will be an epic weekend celebrating another milestone in your history with Creighton Prep! For more information, visit your class page at at CreightonPrep.org/Reunions.

AMDG,

Mike Beacom '85
Director of Alumni Relations
MBeacom@CreightonPrep.org
(402) 548-3851

If one of your classmates mentions that they did not receive a reunion invitation from Prep, please encourage them to contact me or visit their class page at CreightonPrep.org/Reunions.

We look forward to seeing everyone in the Heider Center for Sports Night on Monday, September 26, 2022 when the school welcomes ESPN College Basketball Analyst Jay Bilas as the featured speaker.

Get Tickets at CreightonPrep.org/SportsNight

• Individual: $80 – $65 tax-deductible
• Table of 10: $800 – $650 tax-deductible
• *Sponsor Table of 10: $1,000 – $850 tax-deductible

*One person from each sponsor table is invited to a private cocktail reception with Jay Bilas and will receive a gift and preferred seating at Sports Night.

Evening Program

• 5:30 p.m. – Social, silent auction and dinner
• 7 p.m. – Oral auction
• 7:15 p.m. – Program featuring Jay Bilas

Parking

• East parking lot
• West parking lot
• Hillside Elementary School lot just west of Prep

Check-In

• If you park in Prep's east lot, use the Heider Center entrance.
• If you park in Prep's west lot or the Hillside lot, use the commons entrance.
• You will be directed to a check-in table.
• You and your guests will check in using your name and/or the name of the company given at the time of registration. The table number will be communicated at that time, but no paper tickets will be issued.
• Guests who purchased individual ticket(s) will be assigned to the open seating tables, and there will be plenty of room.

Attire

Attire for the evening is business casual.

Fr. Kevin Schneider, SJ has made incredible contributions during his 25 years at Creighton Prep, and we're going to celebrate those! His extensive work in adult faith formation has become a model for many organizations throughout Omaha, and it continues today at The Cloisters on the Platte.

We look forward to seeing you on Wednesday, September 28 from 4:30-7 p.m. in the Smith Atrium at Prep to honor Fr. Schneider's years of great service to the school. Stop in for a few minutes or stay the whole time! There will be a short program at 6 p.m., and appetizers and beverages will be served. 

Register to attend using the form here. On the 28th, please park in the east lot and use the Heider Center entrance.

You are cordially invited to spend an evening of celebration with Creighton Prep recognizing the 2022 Loyola honorees at this 26th annual event:

• Sword of St. Ignatius - John C. Naatz
• Hall of Fame - Thomas F. McGowan '54
• Hall of Fame - Fr. Kevin Schneider, SJ
• Ancilla Domini - Mary Higgins
• Alumnus of the Year - Dr. Daniel W. Johnson '96

Event Details

• Wednesday, October 19, 2022
• Cocktail Reception 6 p.m.
• Dinner and Program 7 p.m.
• The Henry L. Sullivan, SJ Campus Center
• $60 per person

Register by October 13

R.S.V.P. at CreightonPrep.org/LoyolaDinner OR send a check payable to Creighton Prep at the address below and include the names of those in your party and the class years of Prep alumni.

Creighton Prep
7400 Western Avenue
Omaha, NE 68114-1878

Questions?

Contact Jennifer Jones
(402) 548-6228

Yes, cooler fall weather is on the way! Prepare for the chilly temps with a new PREP 1878 full-zip sweatshirt or the new PREP knit sweater for women by Ellsworth & Ivey. New CP backpacks are in stock, too!

Visit the store in the Smith Atrium from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on school days or shop cpjaymart.com 24/7 from the comfort of home. You can pay with a credit card, Apple Pay® or Google Pay™, and free shipping is available for orders over $100.

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