Alex and Emily Heine: Lifting Grateful Hearts to God

Photo by Brittany Laurel Photography

One night in February 2024, Alex and Emily Heine, of Fordyce, decided to pray the “Parents Prayer,” on the ride home — something they typically say for their family of four every night before bed. But on this night, the couple decided to say it early after going out for Valentine’s Day — their first date in long time.

As Emily finished reading the last few lines, bright lights glared in front of them. Out of nowhere, a one-ton van driving down the wrong side of the highway struck their vehicle head on.

Surviving a collision like that was unlikely, yet Emily and Alex did.

“It is truly a miracle we are here today,” Emily said. “We absolutely know that God and many angels were with us that night.”

The “Parents Prayer” asks God for healing and protection for their children and family in any way that is needed. In the exact moment they asked for protection, God delivered.

“He is unwavering and gave us the grace we needed, at the moment we needed it,” Emily said. “Not a second early or a second late.”

Growing Up Catholic

God had always been a part of Alex and Emily’s lives. Both grew up in Catholic families and attended Catholic elementary schools — Alex at Sacred Heart Elementary in Yankton, South Dakota, and Emily at St. Ludger’s School in Creighton. Alex graduated from Yankton High School in 2012 and completed an animal science degree at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln. Emily graduated from Creighton Community Public Schools in 2014 and completed her degree in radiologic technology at Mount Marty College.

While they had the Catholic Faith instilled in them from a young age, and it had always been central to them throughout their lives, they agreed that they both grew the most in their relationship with God in the years following college.

“Through different trials we have come to see that the only way through, is by keeping your focus on God,” Alex said. “He is with us through the highs and lows.”

An Intimate Wedding

This was especially evident for their wedding, which took place at Immaculate Conception Church in St. Helena in May 2020 — during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Like many special occasions during this time, the Heines’ wedding had to be scaled back quite a bit. Only immediate family and the wedding party could attend the ceremony, and the party afterward took place outside in the middle of Alex’s family’s feedlot.

Despite the challenges of a COVID wedding, though, the Heines found silver linings with the help of family, friends, and of course, their faith in God.

“We had the best intimate wedding with our family that we could have dreamed of,” Emily said. “By the grace of God, it didn’t rain and you could only smell the flowers.”

Passing on the Faith

Since then, Emily and Alex have had two boys, Amos (3) and Leo (1), who are easily their greatest joy and gift from God.

The two have always dreamed of being parents, and they love every minute of it. One of their favorite parts is that Emily works part time, allowing her to stay home with the boys most days.

“It is so fun to be raising our kids as tiny disciples with the goal of Heaven in mind,” she said. “We have loved being able to pass this on to our children so that hopefully when they grow up and are on their own, they can keep God central to their lives.”

Photo by Brittany Laurel Photography

The hope of instilling a faith in them that will stick with them throughout their lives is partly why Emily and Alex began praying the “Parents Prayer.” They want their boys to understand and feel God’s love now and always.

It turned out that the prayer not only helped their children, but them as well.

A Second Family

Emily and Alex are sure that the prayer granted them protection during that horrific February night. Of course, the following weeks and months were still hard, but the challenges only helped them realize just how much they needed to trust in the Lord.

“Through the long and uncertain road of healing, our eyes were opened so much to how real God’s love is,” Emily said.

They felt that love through the support they received from family, friends and their parish community.

Emily and Alex have been a part of Our Catholic Family of Parishes since getting married in St. Helena in 2020. They’ve attended many parish events and Bible studies, and Alex has been serving on the parish council for three years. Throughout that time, they’ve been able to develop deep friendships and connections to the parish and its mission.

“One thing we especially love is how this parish family is prioritizing new disciple formation and how many people of all ages are truly living out their faith,” Alex said. “It makes the busyness of life and activities slow down a bit when we stop and truly realize why we are here on earth.”

Then, after the car accident, the Heine family experienced a new wave of love and appreciation for their community, who showed them God’s love and kindness during the challenging time. To this day, the Heines continue to revel in the blessings they have been given.

“We experienced so much generosity from family, friends, neighbors, and complete strangers,” they said. “Our hearts are still overflowing with gratitude for our great God and each prayer and person that helped us along the way. Our lives and our children’s lives are completely changed.”

“Pray, Hope, and Don’t Worry” – Padre Pio

This story originally appeared in the November 2024 edition of Our Catholic Family Magazine.