"I began playing the Native American flute in 2008 after one was presented to me at the beginning of Lent that year. The first time I played it publicly was at the end of the forty days of Lent, during our Good Friday service. Afterwards, a parishioner came up and asked me who had taught me how to play. Hearing my reply, “No one,” she said, “It comes to you naturally. That means the Creator intended you to pray to Him this way.” Over time, the Native American flute has become an instrument of prayer for me. And while I recognize that I am not an accomplished musician, (athletics have always claimed precedence over music), my love and respect for Native American culture, and the individuals God has placed in my life has moved me to share this recording with you. The songs recorded here are not what I could fairly call compositions; rather, they are spontaneous prayers that come from within, and are expressed through music."

Songs and Prayers from St. Augustine’s ~ Song List | Listen to the music online

1. Embracing Our Past • This refers to the first part of the motto chosen for the Mission’s Centennial in 2009. Hindsight is 20/20, and has allowed us to see that mistakes were made during the past 100 years of educating children of the Omaha and Winnebago Tribes. The old ways of trying to strip Native children of their culture and identity had devastating results, and left scars that are still present years later. Our desire is not to hide from our history, but to embrace the bad and the good, praying for healing and reconciliation for any and all who were injured by actions from the past. As you listen to this song, please join us in the prayer.

2. Omaha Four Direction Song • This is like the “opening hymn” in the Sweat Lodge ceremony. The song honors the presence of God which surrounds us in the four directions. Prayers in St. Augustine Church and those in the Sweat Lodge go to the same God who made us all.

3. Saintly Influence • A song to honor our Foundress, St. Katharine Drexel. St. Augustine Indian Mission is the only location in the state of Nebraska where an officially recognized saint of the Catholic Church has lived for a period of time. In March, 1909, St. Katharine made her first trip to Winnebago, but her legacy is timeless.

4. Honoring St. Katharine Drexel • Another song to honor our Foundress. Craig “Tunny” Cleveland, Jr. is a remarkable young man. He is very proud of his culture and represents his Winnebago Tribe with humility and dignity. I appreciate his openness in sharing his culture with non-Native people.

5. Grace and Mercy • This was my first attempt at recording a second flute over one previously recorded. The title comes from the motto chosen by Archbishop George Lucas for his coat of arms when he became Archbishop of Omaha. He is a blessing to his people.

6. Omaha Honor Song • A prayer to God from the Sweat Lodge tradition. We have parishioners who enhance their spirituality by participating in these ceremonies. They have welcomed me into their circle of prayer, for which I am very grateful. All my relations!

7. Meditation • We live in a very fast paced world. It is imperative that we take time to quiet ourselves long enough to hear God speaking to us. St. Augustine said, “Our hearts are restless, until they rest in Thee.” Psalm 46 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” My hope is that this song will help you in that endeavor.

8. When The Roll Is Called Up Yonder • Both the Omahas and the Winnebagos gather for a four-day Wake Service at the death of a loved one, and Sarah Snake has blessed grieving families at funerals by singing this song in Ho-Chunk for many years.

9. God’s Voice • We are all called to listen for God’s speaking to us. When we fight it, we experience discord and discontent. When we hear God’s voice and align our will with His, we experience harmony and peace. The double flute used in this song reminds me of that. It expresses the peace and harmony I have felt responding to God’s call to priesthood, and to serve in this current assignment among these holy people.

10. Ho-Chunk “Our Father” • Ho-Chunk is the name of the Winnebago language. 7th graders, Savanah and Agnes, joined the 3rd graders to record this song that comes from the Native American Church.

11. Omaha “Our Father” • The “Our Father” is one of the first prayers Christians learn. It is beautiful in any language! We have just recently started teaching the Omaha language in our school.

12. Rolling Hills • St. Augustine Indian Mission is located in the rolling hills of northeast Nebraska. This song gives thanks to God for the beauty that is all around us. We are located on the original lands where the Omaha Tribe lived. In 1865 the U.S. Government moved the Winnebago Tribe for the fifth and last time. The rolling hills and thick woodlands they found here along the Missouri River resembled their homeland of Wisconsin enough to make them feel comfortable.

13. Omaha Pipe Song • Another song from the Sweat Lodge ceremony. This song accompanies the sharing of the pipe between the 3rd and 4th doors of the prayer service.

14. Celebrating Our Future • The other half of our centennial motto. We at St. Augustine Indian Mission have indeed “embraced our past,” and feel very good about where we are going. Our mission is to help our students embrace their identity as Native American children, created in the image and likeness of God! This song tries to express the hopefulness and the bright future we believe lies ahead for our students and the Mission.