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P A R T N E R S P O T L I G H T
Nebraska Couple Presented with the 2009 Ignatian Spirit Award
John and Ann Louise Micek personify the spirit of St. Ignatius through their lives and their deeds. They were honored with the Ignatian Spirit Award at the 2009 Omaha Ignatian Dinner on September 16th. The seventh annual dinner was sponsored by the Jesuit Partnership Council of Omaha and was held at the Mike and Josie Harper Center at Creighton University.
L-R: Dana Meyer, John Micek, Ann Louise Micek, Provincial Fr. Tom Krettek, SJ, and Mike Meyer, Chair of the Jesuit Partnership Council of Omaha.
United in their commitment to advancing our Church, John‘s motto is to “Pass on the Catholic faith to the next generation through prayer and education.” Ann Louise fortifies this motto by stating, “The goal of Catholic education is to unite Faith with Reason to arrive at the Truth”. Their ultimate desire is to bring more individuals to the Truth.
Their personal choice for Catholic education is Jesuit. Both are graduates of Creighton University; three of their six children graduated from Jesuit high schools, four from Jesuit universities, and two from Jesuit graduate schools. All of the children attended Catholic schools, from elementary through college.
Spiritually, John and Ann Louise Micek turn to the Jesuits, who are their Spiritual Directors. If you spend any time with John and Ann Louise, you are struck by how ultra-aware they are of God’s whisperings and how intimately they involve Him as a decision-maker in their lives. This can only come from a lived response to the Spiritual Exercises and an incredibly disciplined, habitual prayer life that involves God for all good decisions made.
This wonderful couple returns their many graces by supporting the Program and The Learning Institute at Creighton University as well as the Institute for Priestly Formation. Two sculptures at CU, one of St. Ignatius and one of the Holy Spirit, are due to their generosity.
Their commitment to Catholic education is felt by every parish in Omaha, even several rescued from closure. John is a founding member of the Archbishop’s Committee on Education and Development. Ann Louise is a major benefactor of Mercy High School. She also started a scholarship program, benefiting 60 young women over a 10 year period of time, at the three Catholic high schools for girls in Omaha. Award candidates must illustrate how their lives give expression to their Catholic faith, rather than academic achievement or financial need.
Their faith commitment touches the wider Catholic community as well. John is a founding member of the Perpetual Adoration Program at Christ the King Parish; Ann Louise is a founding member of the Holy Family Shrine in Gretna, NE. Both support the local Catholic radio station, KVSS.
Their life is “to seek the magis”…to pursue what more can and should be done, to constantly challenge oneself to try harder and perform better. They do not pursue their own glory, but the greater glory of God. John and Ann Louise are called to live, learn and work - always striding forward, constantly seeking the magis. But their steps, while confidently taken, are humble ones. To quote Archbishop Romero, “We are the workers, not the Master Builder.”
Their life of service will continue, as they constantly echo to themselves the Ignatian question: “What more does God want of us?”
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