Nebraska Catholic Conference

08/31/2026

🌹 Do Catholics worship Mary? 👀

Short answer: No. It’s a common question about Catholicism. And one that often comes from a sincere desire to give God the worship He alone deserves.

Catholic teaching makes an essential distinction between three forms of honor:

🙏 Latria: Adoration and worship offered to God alone: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

🙏 Dulia: Honor and respect given to the saints.

🙏 Hyperdulia: The unique and highest honor given to Mary because she is the mother of Jesus.

When Catholics ask Mary or the saints to pray for us, we are asking for their intercession, just as we ask friends and family on earth to pray for us.

Mary never competes with Christ; she only amplifies His glory. Her intercession depends entirely on Him and leads us closer to Him. At Cana, Mary directs us to her Son: “Do whatever he tells you.”

💭 This week’s reflection: Ask Mary to pray for a specific intention or for someone in your life who needs God’s help.

08/28/2026

🍻 Bishop & Brews: Human Dignity, AI, & the Common Good coming near you soon!

📍Omaha — 9/16
📍Lincoln — 9/17
📍Grand Island — 10/22
👀 Plus more events with the Nebraska Catholic Conference around the state to be announced 🤝

Tag a friend you’d like to go to this with!👇

&Brews

08/27/2026

📢 Hey Omaha! A bishop, a senator, a priest, and a lawyer walk into a bar...🍻

No joke! On Wednesday, September 16th at 7:00 PM, they’re pulling up a chair at the German American Society in Omaha for Bishop & Brews: Human Dignity, AI, & The Common Good, hosted by the Nebraska Catholic Conference.

We’re bringing together faith, policy, ethics, and community leaders for an engaging panel discussion on how Catholic social teaching guides us in a digital age.

📍 Where: German American Society (3717 S 120th St, Omaha)
📅 When: Wednesday, Sept 16th @ 7:00 PM
👥 Who: Archbishop Michael G. McGovern, State Senator Rita Sanders, Fr. Kevin FitzGerald, SJ, and Tom Venzor

Tag a friend you want to grab a brew with and save the date! 🍻👇

08/24/2026

🍻 No seriously! There’s no punchline here… just great beer and essential conversations!

The Nebraska Catholic Conference is hosting a new series of events for you: Bishop & Brews! Our first event is all about AI, human dignity, & the common good. 🤝

Join Archbishop Michael G. McGovern of Archdiocese of Omaha with other faith and policy leaders as we dive into what Catholic social teaching has to say about artificial intelligence, technology, and ethics in our digital age.

Keep an eye on our page!! Dates and venue locations across the state will be announced soon! 📢

&Brews

07/28/2026

07/27/2026

🤔 Ever wondered what the Nebraska Catholic Conference actually does? (Hint: It’s not a conference to attend!)

In today’s episode of Mondays with Megan, we’re clearing up the biggest myth about our name and sharing how we work every day to bring the heart of the Church into Nebraska state policy.

While we love hosting events throughout the year, the NCC is primarily the official voice in the public square for Nebraska’s three Catholic Bishops.

Instead of following political parties or personal opinions, our work at the State Capitol is anchored in Scripture, Catholic Teaching, and the guidance of our Bishops to:

👉 Shape & Review state legislation
👉 Advocate at public hearings for the common good
👉 Engage directly with State Senators on critical issues

Ready to stand with us in the public square?!

📨 Sign up for our network at NECatholic.org for weekly Catholic news and public policy updates, special announcements, event details, and more!

Watch the video from Megan to hear more, and let’s go bear the light of Christ in the public square! 🙏

CivicResponsibility

07/13/2026

👶💦 Why do we baptize babies instead of waiting until they’re older?

It’s a great question, and it usually comes from a wonderful place of wanting to respect a child’s freedom. But Scripture and history show us that Baptism is essential at the beginning.

We often misunderstand Original Sin as a personal crime we have committed, but theology tells us that it’s a spiritual inheritance of human brokenness from Adam and Eve. We are born into a fractured world separated from God’s original design.

By baptizing an infant, we aren’t forcing a checklist of rules onto them; we are flooding their soul with God’s life and healing from day one.

Consider how we approach parenting in every other area of life. Out of pure love, we don’t remain neutral on a child’s nutrition, education, or healthcare until they turn 18. We don’t wait for them to “choose” to be protected from a serious illness if medicine is available immediately.

Spiritual stewardship operates on that exact same logic. True freedom doesn’t mean starting with a blank slate in a broken world; it means being equipped with the divine grace to navigate it from the very beginning. As parents, opening the door to the sacraments is the ultimate act of protective love.

🙏 This Week’s Reflection: Let’s lift up all new and expecting parents in prayer this week, or anyone who may be considering baptism for themselves. May they feel deeply supported, encouraged, and equipped to enter into the family of God!

06/22/2026

Does the Mass mean Catholics are crucifying Jesus over and over again? ❌ No!

It’s one of the most common misconceptions out there.

Catholics firmly believe in what Scripture says in Hebrews 10:12 that Christ offered “one sacrifice for sins, and took his seat forever at the right hand of God.”

Jesus is in Heaven right now with His glorified, physical body. He cannot die again, and His sacrifice on Calvary was entirely, perfectly enough to save us.

🤷‍♀️ So, what is actually happening at Mass?

Think of the Mass like a time machine, not a repeat button. ⏳

Because God exists completely outside of our human time constraints, the Mass doesn’t repeat Jesus’ death. Instead, it makes that one, single, eternal sacrifice from 2,000 years ago present to us today.

When we step into Mass, we are stepping out of ordinary time and standing right at the foot of the Cross with Mary and John.

The Holy Spirit breathes life into the bread and wine, transforming them into His Real Presence so we can be physically fueled by the Lord’s ultimate act of love.

👉 This week’s challenge: Don’t let Communion become just a routine. Let that history-altering grace fuel you to go out and bear the light of Christ in your family, your workplace, and the public square!

What questions do you have about the Mass? Drop them in the comments below! 👇

06/15/2026

Jesus doubled down in John Chapter 6.

When He told the crowds, “Whoever eats this bread will live forever; and the bread that I will give is my flesh,” they were confused and murmured among themselves. They thought He was speaking in a weird, poetic metaphor.

But instead of backtracking or saying, “Hey guys, wait, it’s just a symbol!”... Jesus doubled down. And the proof is in the original Greek text.

Throughout the beginning of John 6 (verses 5, 23, 26, 31, 49, 50, 51, 53, and 58), the word used for “eating” is ‘esthio.’ This is the standard, polite word for normal human eating.

But in John 6:54, everything changes.

From that verse onward (verses 54, 56, 57, and 58), the word deliberately switches to a completely different, less common word: ‘trogo.’

Unlike esthio, trogo is a raw, physical word. It literally means to munch, to crunch, or to gnaw with the teeth. It describes the raw, physical process of consuming food.

Some people try to argue that John just used these words interchangeably. But here’s the ultimate proof: John only uses the word trogo in strictly Eucharistic contexts. In fact, the only other time he uses it is later in his Gospel to describe Judas eating bread at the Eucharistic Last Supper.

You can’t get much more literal than that. This is transubstantiation. Christ is demanding that we express our faith through a real, physical consumption of His true Body and Blood.

This week’s challenge: When you step up to receive Jesus at Mass, contemplate the word trogo.

Let’s receive Him with deep reverence, recognizing the reality of the Eucharist, and carry that literal love out into the world.

06/04/2026

Yesterday, Governor Jim Pillen proclaimed June as Marriage and Family Month in Nebraska!

From the Proclamation:
“…consisting of one husband, one wife, and any biological, adopted, or fostered children, is God’s design for the family structure and has been the foundation of every society since the creation of the world.”
 
June is also the month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the Catholic Church! ❤️‍🔥