When St. Cecilia students were summoned to Chapman Gymnasium for a short meeting at the end of another hectic late April school day on Thursday, they didn’t know what they were about to be told.
As it turns out, their principal, the Rev. Cyrus Rowan, had Good News to share:
Not good news about academics, athletics or activities, but the Good News of Jesus Christ in the Gospels according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
Rowan explained that he received an unsolicited telephone call a few weeks ago from William Drexel of Omaha wondering if St. Cecilia would be interested in a donation of “The Word on Fire Bible Volume 1: The Gospels,” released in 2020 by Word on Fire Catholic Ministries headquartered in Des Plaines, Illinois.
Hastings Catholic Schools enthusiastically accepted the offer from Drexel and his wife, Sandy, to provide a copy of the book for every student in this year’s grades 8-12 at St. Cecilia Middle School and High School, plus a copy for every faculty and staff member in HCS, which also includes St. Michael’s Elementary School.
Word on Fire Catholic Ministries, a nonprofit group, is led by the Most Rev. Robert Barron, a well-known Catholic churchman, theologian, public speaker and media figure who now is an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. Word on Fire works in traditional and digital media to “proclaim Christ in the culture.”
Word on Fire is developing and releasing its edition of the entire Holy Bible in six volumes — two to cover the New Testament, plus four Old Testament volumes to follow. The second volume was released a few months ago.
The volumes, which are to be available in leather-bound, hardcover and paperback versions, provide not only the scriptures themselves, but also commentaries from throughout the centuries by everyone from early Church Fathers like St. Augustine of Hippo to modern-day religious and cultural figures including St. Pope John Paul II — as well as religious artwork with accompanying articles.
The St. Cecilia students and staff received copies of the leather-bound edition, complete with gold foil lettering, gilded edges, and ribbons for page markers. The shipment included 245 books in all.
Rowan explained that the books are the students’ to keep, but that those who will be returning to campus next fall are expected to bring them to school for use in religion classes.
Rowan said the Word on Fire Bible, which is being marketed as a “cathedral in print,” is meant not just to provide the scriptures in a readable form (New Revised Standard Version: Catholic Edition), but to engage users’ senses, allowing them to dive more deeply and personally into the story and life of Jesus and to behold the beauty of Christian faith and tradition over 2,000 years of history.
“The world changes, but our faith can be lived out in any age no matter what,” he said.
The volumes will be a valuable educational resource at St. Cecilia, Rowan said, as the Bible already is used on a daily or near-daily basis in religion and morality classes.
Owning the books should be meaningful to the students as individuals, as well, he said.
Rowan encouraged the students to look through the books immediately and put them to use in their personal lives.
“What good does it do to have a Bible and let it sit on a shelf in a box?” he asked.
The Drexels have no connections to Hastings and are donating copies of the Bible volumes to Catholic schools throughout Nebraska, Rowan said.
While the monetary value of their donation to St. Cecilia is undisclosed, a quick check of the Word on Fire website shows a single copy of the book sells at retail for $59.95.
Following Thursday’s assembly, students — who had no idea the books were coming their way — seemed floored by the out-of-town donors’ investment in their ongoing faith formation.
“I think it’s really kind of generous somebody would be willing to spend that much money for some high school kids,” said junior Robby Hrnchir.
Freshman William Shaw said the donors went above and beyond in providing him and his fellow students with such a beautifully made book.
“It’s very generous of them to think of us,” he said.
Senior Isabella Poppe said she and other soon-to-be graduates now have a great faith resource to take along with them to college or wherever life leads them.
“That’s really special,” she said.
Rowan said the donated books also will be an encouragement to all the adults working in the school system, who are meant to be Christian witnesses to students each day.
“We expect all of our teachers here to be religion teachers,” he said. “We all can work to grow closer in our relationship to Christ.”
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