Nine priests celebrate jubilee anniversaries
Posted April 25, 2002

Bishop Daniel N. DiNardo and eight priests of the Diocese of Sioux City are celebrating milestone anniversaries to the priesthood this year.

25 YEARS

Bishop Daniel N. DiNardo was born May 23, 1949, in Steubenville, Ohio, the son of the late Nicholas and Jane (Green) DiNardo. He attended St. Anne Grade School in Castle Shannon, Penn., and Bishop's Latin School in Pittsburgh. He attended Duquesne University in Pittsburgh and Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., earning a bachelor's and master's in philosophy. The bishop studied theology at the Gregorian University in Rome. In 1980 he received a licentiate degree in sacred theology from Augustinianum (Patristics Institute.)

Bishop Vincent M. Leonard ordained to the priesthood on July 16, 1977 at St. Anne in Castle Shannon.

His first assignment was as associate pastor at St. Pius X in Brookline, Penn. He served as assistant chancellor for the Diocese of Pittsburgh from 1981 to 1984, staff member of the Congregation for Bishops and director of the Villa Stritch in Rome from 1984 to 1991, assistant secretary for education in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, 1991 to 1994; and pastor at Sts. John and Paul in Franklin Park, Penn. from 1994 to 1997.

Bishop DiNardo was named coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Sioux City on Aug. 19, 1997 and was ordained a bishop on Oct. 7, 1997. He succeeded Bishop Lawrence D. Soens as Bishop of Sioux City on Nov. 28, 1998.

Father Richard D. Ball is the son of the late Reo and Freida (Schroer) Ball. Born April 26, 1951, in Duncombe, he attended Duncombe Public Grade School, St. Edmond High School and Immaculate Conception in Conception, Mo., for his college. He received a B.A. in Philosophy from Immaculate Conception and went to St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minn., for his theology degree. He later earned a Masters of Divinity at St. Paul Seminary.

He was ordained on May 28, 1977, at St. Joseph Church in Duncombe by Bishop Frank H. Greteman.

Father Ball served at many parishes, with his first being at Holy Spirit Church in Carroll from 1977 to 1980. He also served as assistant pastor at Blessed Sacrament in Sioux City from 1980 to 1982 and again served as assistant pastor at St. Cecelia Church in Algona from 1982-1984. Father Ball was then parochial vicar of Corpus Christi in Fort Dodge from 1984 to 1986. He also was pastor of St. John's in Gilmore City and St. Margaret's in Rolfe from 1986 to 1991. From 1991 to 1998 he served as pastor of Assumption Parish in Merril and St. Joseph in Ellendale. During this time, Father Ball was also a part-time teacher at Gehlen Schools in Le Mars. Currently, he is pastor of St. Mary's in Dow City, St. Boniface in Charter Oak and St. Mary's in Ute.

Father Timothy J. Boekelman was born on Jan. 8, 1951, in Algona, the son of the late Albert and Merilyn M. (Burns) Boekelman. He attended St. Cecelia Grade School and Bishop Garrigan High School in Algona. He went to St. Mary's College in Winona, Minn., and Loras College in Dubuque, where he received a B.S. in math. Father Boekelman attended St. Meinrad School of Theology in St. Meinrad, Ind., where he received a Masters in Divinity.

He was ordained on May 14, 1977, at St. Cecelia Church in Algona by Bishop Greteman.

Father Boekelman was first assigned to Sacred Heart in Spencer from 1977 to 1978, followed by St. Joseph's in Le Mars from 1978 to 1982. He served as assistant pastor at St. John the Baptist Church in Bancroft from 1982 to 1985, and was then pastor at Sacred Heart in Ledyard from 1985-1989. He served St. John High School in Bancroft from 1982 to 1989. Father Boekelman then became pastor at St. Benedict in Algona and worked at Garrigan High School from 1989 to 1990. In 1990, he worked full-time at Garrigan High School until he served St. Edmond High School in 1991. In 1992, he became pastor of St. Joseph, Struble, and St. Mary, Maurice, while serving at Gehlen High School.

Father Boekelman also served as pastor of St. Joseph, Neptune, from 1995 to 1997, as well as continuing his residence at Struble. In 1997, he became pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Moorland and St. Joseph in Duncombe. While remaining pastor at Moorland and Duncombe, he also became pastor of Christ the King in Dayton in 1999, and continues to serve all three parishes today.

Father Patrick J. O'Kane was born on Oct. 3, 1949, in Sibley, to Richard and Lucille (McCabe) O'Kane. He attended Gehlen Schools in Le Mars from 1957 to 1961, and then went to Pocahontas Catholic from 1961-1964. He went to high school at Trinity Prep in Sioux City from 1964-1967 and then attended Savior of the World Semniary in Kansas City, Kansas, from 1968-1972. He attended St. Thomas Seminary in Denver and Denver University from 1968-1972. Father O'Kane received a B.A. in Philosophy from St. Thomas in 1972 and went to Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis, Mo.

He was ordained to the priesthood on June 4, 1977, at St. Joseph Church in LeMars by Bishop Greteman.

Father O'Kane began his life as a priest as an assistant at Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City from 1977 to 1982. He then served on the faculty of Heelan High School from 1981 to 1984, with a residence at Marian Hall from 1982-1984. He then became administrator at St. John High School in Bancroft from 1984 to 1988. He served as administrator of Spalding High School from 1989 to 1991 before becoming superintendent of the Catholic schools of the diocese. He served as associate pastor at St. Joseph in Milfort from 1997 to 1998. In 1998, he became pastor of Sacred Heart in Early and was appointed pastor of St. Joseph's in Schaller in 2001, while remaining at Early.

Father Merlin J. Schrad was born on June 28, 1951, in Carroll. He is the son of Marcellus and Edna (Heithoff) Schrad and attended Wall Lake Community Schools for grades K-4 and then went to Templeton for grades 4-8. He went to Kuemper High School in Carroll and attended Loras College in Dubuque, where he received a B.A. in History. He also received his philosophy degree from Loras and received his Master in Divinity from St. Mary's Seminary in Baltimore, Md.

Father Schrad was ordained by Bishop Greteman on May 7, 1977, at Sacred Heart Church in Templeton.

He first served on the faculty of Kuemper High School with residence at Holy Spirit in Carroll as an assistant pastor from 1977 to 1981. He then became principal of Storm Lake St. Mary's and assistant pastor at St. Mary's from 1981 to 1986. Father Schrad served as an administrator at Gehlen School in Le Mars from 1986 to 1994. In 1994, he became president at Kuemper High School in Carroll and pastor at St. Mary's Parish in Auburn. He became pastor at Holy Family in Lidderdale from 1997-2001 while remaining at Kuemper.

In 1999, Father Schrad became pastor at St. Elizabeth at Glidden while remaining at Lidderdale and Kuemper. In 2001, he became parochial vicar of Blessed Sacrament in Sioux City.

50 YEARS

Father Edmond F. Adams was born Nov. 8, 1919, in Fort Dodge. He is the son of Raymond and Katherine (Brenner) Adams, both deceased. He attended Sacred Heart Elementary School in Fort Dodge and graduated from Sacred Heart High School. He went to college at Trinity in Sioux City and received his philosophy degree from Loras, Dubuque and St. Louis University. He then went to ST. Mary's in Baltimore, Md. to receive his theology degree.

Father Adams was ordained on June 7, 1952, in Sioux City by Bishop Joseph M. Mueller.

His first assignment was to Immaculate Conception Parish in Sioux City from 1952 to 1956. He then went to St. John the Baptist in Bancroft from 1954-1958. Father Adams served at Ss. Peter and Paul in Carroll from 1958 to 1960, followed by St. John's, Gilmore City, and Lizard until 1963. He was then released to join Papal Volunteer for Latin America until 1972. From 1972 to 1973, Father Adams was Vicar Adjutant at St. Joseph, Wall Lake. He then went on to become pastor at Wall Lake until 1974. From 1974 to 1984, he was pastor at Larchwood St. Mary's. Father Adams was then pastor at St. Mary's in Hawarden until 1994 upon his retirement.

Father Joseph Nooney was born on Sept. 24, 1922, in Sioux City. He was the son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Crotty) Nooney, both deceased. He attended St. Joseph's in Sioux City and went to Trinity High School. Father Nooney then attended Trinity College for two years; he received his philosophy degree from Loras in Dubuque. We went to St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minn., and obtained his theology degree.

Father Nooney was ordained to the priesthood on June 7, 1952 at the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City by Bishop Joseph M. Mueller. He served in the U.S. Army for three years.

His first assignment was to St. Anthony's Orphanage in Sioux City for several months in 1952. As an assistant, he went to St. Patrick's in Estherville from 1952 to 1957, followed by St. Lawrence Church in Carroll from 1957 to 1959. He then was pastor at St. Joseph, Struble, and Maurice, from 1959 to 1962. Father Nooney then served at Sacred Heart in Manning from 1962 to 1967. For several months in 1967, Father Nooney was released for service in South America with the St. James Society. He then served as pastor at Immaculate Conception in Moville from 1967-1968. From 1968 to 1972, he was at Sacred Heart in Ayrshire and then went on to serve at Rock Valley and Alvord from 1972 to 1977.

Father Nooney then served as pastor of Sanborn and Hartley from 1977 to 1978. He then took a leave of absence due to health reasons until 1979, where he served at St. Joseph's in Sioux City until 1982. He then went on to become pastor at St. Margaret's Parish in Rolfe from 1982-1984. From 1984 to 1985, he served at St. Michael's in Kingsley. He was chaplain at Marian Health Center in Sioux City in 1986. In 1987, he went from being Chaplain at Marian Health Center in Sioux City, to becoming Chaplain at Trinity Regional Hospital in Fort Dodge. In the summer of 1996, Father Nooney retired.

55 YEARS

Father Frank J. Brady was born on Jan. 14, 1921, in Sioux City. He was the son of Patrick J. and Jane F. (Carroll) Brady. He attended grade school at Immaculate Conception in Sioux City and went to High School at Trinity High School in Sioux City. He received his philosophy degree from Trinity College and his theology at Kenrick's Seminary in St. Louis, Mo.

He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Edmond Heelan at the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City on Dec. 21, 1946.

His first assignment was at Holy Family Hospital in Estherville from 1946 to 1948. He went to become assistant pastor at Lady of Perpetual Help in Ashton from 1948 to 1951. From there, Father Brady became assistant pastor at St. Bernard's in Breda until 1954. He became pastor at St. Cecelia, Sanborn, and St. Joseph, Hartley, from 1954 to 1959. He then served as editor of The Globe until 1964, while serving as an aux. Chaplain of the U.S. Air Force (1960-1964). Father Brady then served as pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Sioux City from 1964 to 1986. He became pastor of St. Francis Church in Sioux City from 1986 to 1994, and retired in 1994.

Father Gerald R. Wingert was born on Jan. 3, 1922, in Cresco, Iowa. He was born to Lawrence F. and Mary Catherine (Thissen) Wingert, both deceased. He attended St. Joseph's School in Wesley for eight years before heading to Sacred Heart School in Waterloo for one year. He then attended Wesley Public for three years. For college, he attended Loras College in Dubuque for two years before spending two years at Trinity College in Sioux City. He received his philosophy degree from Trinity and his theology from St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minn.

Father Wingert was ordained on May 31, 1947, by Bishop Heelan at the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City.

He began as an assistant priest at Remsen from 1947 to 1951 and then became an assistant at St. Patrick's in Sheldon until 1953. From 1953 to 1954, he served as an assistant pastor at St. Lawrence in Carroll. Father Wingert became pastor at Struble and Maurice from 1954 to 1956, when he became pastor of St. Joseph, Neptune. In 1959, he served as pastor of St. Margaret's in Rolfe and went on to become pastor at Moville in 1963.

From 1965 to 1971, he served as pastor at St. Catherine Church in Oyens. From 1971 to 1978, he was pastor at St. Mary's Auburn. He became pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Holstein in 1978 and took a leave of absence in 1979. In late 1979, he served as pastor at St. Joseph in Schaller and went on to become pastor at St. Mary's, Mallard in 1980. In 1984, Father Wingert became pastor at Sacred Heart in Livermore until his retirement in 1992.