Six priests celebrate anniversaries

Posted April 24, 2003

Six priests of the Diocese of Sioux City are celebrating milestone anniversaries this year. Bishop Daniel N. DiNardo will be the main celebrant of a 4 p.m. Jubilee Mass on April 30 at St. Lawrence in Carroll.

25 YEARS

Father Craig Collison was born Oct. 10, 1952, in Boone, Iowa, the son of Arden and Ruth (Holliday) Collison. He attended American Institute of Business in Des Moines receiving a diploma in business administration and accounting. He received a B.A. in accounting and philosophy from Loras College in Dubuque, Iowa. He attended St. Mary's Seminary and University in Baltimore, Md. where he earned a master of divinity degree. In 1984, he completed a masters in science at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebr. He also hold a certification in secondary education.

Bishop Frank H. Greteman ordained Father Collison on May 6, 1978 at Sacred Heart Church in Boone.

Father Collison's first assignment was at St. Cecelia and Garrigan High School in Algona as a deacon and for four weeks following ordination to priesthood. He served as assistant pastor at St. Joseph's Parish in Sioux City, at St. Lawrence Parish in Carroll as well as a faculty member at Kuemper High School in Carroll and at Corpus Christi in Fort Dodge as well as faculty member of St. Edmonds High School. He was the pastor of St. Joseph, Struble and St. Mary, Maurice and to the faculty of Gehlen High school. In 1990, he became the administrator of St. Mary High School, Remsen with residence at St. Mary Parish, Remsen. He was a co-director of the Pre-Cana Program for the Northwest Deanery. From 1995 to present, Father Collison has been pastor of St. Mary, Willey while teaching at Kuemper High School in Carroll. He is now the president pro-tem of Kuemper High School.

Msgr. R. Mark Duchaine was born Sept. 20, 1951, in Sioux City, Iowa, the son of Lawrence and Muriel (Grotewold) Duchaine. He attended Morningside College in Sioux City and received a bachelor's of arts in political science. He attended Loyola University of Los Angeles, St. Meinrad School of Theology and St. Paul Universtiy in Ottawa, Canada where he received a licentiate degree in Canon Law in 1986.

Msgr. Duchaine was ordained by Bishop Frank H. Greteman on April 21, 1978 at St. Joseph Church in Salix.

His first assignment was as assistant pastor at St. Cecelia Church in Algona. He also served as assistant pastor at St. Joseph's Church in Le Mars. In 1987, Msgr. Duchaine was named assistant officialis of the diocesan Tribunal and vice chancellor, while he also served as pastor of Our Lady of the Assumption, Merrill and St. Joseph, Ellendale. He was named the judicial vicar in 1988. In 1991, he became pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel, Holstein, while remaining judicial vicar of the diocesan Tribunal and vice-chancellor. He is currently the pastor of St. Mary, Mapleton and St. Mary, Oto, while remaining as judicial vicar of the Diocese of Sioux City and the bishop's special vicar for Canonical Affairs.

50 YEARS

Father John P. Alvey, son of the late Victor and Mary (Griesemer) Alvey was born Feb. 23, 1927 in Sioux City. He attended Trinity College in Sioux City, received a B.A. in philosophy from Loras College in Dubuque. He attended Conception Seminary in Conception, Mo. and Catholic University in Washington, D.C. He was awarded a master's in education from Creighton University in Omaha. Father Alvey also received his Ph.D. in 1982 from Columbia Pacific University in Mill Valley, Calif.

Father Alvey was ordained by Bishop Gerald T. Bergen on May 30, 1953 in Omaha, Neb.

He served as temporary chaplain at Briar Cliff College and assistant chaplain at Mercy Hospital, Sioux City. He was an assistant pastor at St. Mary's Parish, Ashton; Holy Name Parish, Rock Rapids and Sacred Heart Parish, Pocahontas. He was the superintendent of Gehlen Schools, LeMars and of St. Edmond's, Fort Dodge. Father Alvey served as pastor at Sacred Heart, Early; Sacred Heart and SS. Peter and Paul, Pocahontas; Church of the Resurrection, Pocahontas and St. Michael, Whittemore. He served in the Diocese of Phoenix, Ariz. from 1979 to 1982. He retired in January of 1988.

55 YEARS

Father Daniel C. Lynch was born March 11, 1924, in Larchwood, the son of the late Daniel and Ellen (Hughes) Lynch. He attended St. Mary's Grade and High School in Larchwood. He attended Trinity College in Sioux City where he studied philosophy. He then earned his theology degree at St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minn. He attended the Catholic University of America - Midwest Extension branch at Loras College, Dubuque and received a master's of arts in 1957.

Bishop Joseph M. Mueller ordained Father Lynch on June 6, 1948 at the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City.

Father Lynch served as assistant pastor at Our Lady of Good Counsel in Fonda and St. Michael's in Whittemore. He was a faculty member at Heelan High School in Sioux City as well as a chaplain at St. Monica's Home in Sioux City. He served as a pastor at St. Joseph's in Barnum while being a faculty member at St. Edmond High School in Fort Dodge. Father Lynch also served as pastor at Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Ashton, Our Lady of Good Counsel in Fonda, St. Mary's Parish in Storm Lake and St. Mary's in Sac City. He retired in July of 1994.

60 YEARS

Father Elmer D. Thom was born Nov. 11, 1917, in Ashton, the son of the late Fred and Carrie (Bausch) Thom. He attended St. Joseph Grade and High School in Ashton. He graduated from Trinity College in Sioux City in 1939 and then attended Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis. He earned a master's in education from Creighton University in Omaha in 1951.

Bishop Edmond Heelan ordained him to the priesthood on April 10, 1943 at Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City.

His first assignment was as an assistant pastor at St. Joseph Church in Le Mars. He taught at Heelan High School, Sioux City and was chaplain at Briar Cliff College. He served as pastor at Sacred Heart, Alvord and its mission in Doon; Sacred Heart, Ruthven while principal at Emmetsburg High School; Immaculate Conception, Cherokee; St. Mary, Spirit Lake; Assumption, Emmetsburg; St. Thomas, Manson; St. Cecilia, Sanborn; St. Joseph, Hartley and Holy Name, Rock Rapids.

He retired on June 16, 1992.

65 YEARS

Father Nicholas J. Becker was born on June 9, 1912 at St. Joseph (Bode), the son of George and Elizabeth (Kellner) Becker. He attended St. Joseph Grade School in Bode and Conception High School in Conception, Mo. and then St. Mary's Mission House in Techny, Ill. He attended Conception College for a year before attending Trinity College in Sioux City, graduating in 1934. He then attended St. Mary's Seminary in Roland Park, Baltimore.

Bishop Heelan ordained him on May 1, 1938 at Cathedral of the Epiphany.

Father Becker served as an assistant pastor at St. Thomas in Emmetsburg, Sacred Heart in Templeton and St. John in Bancroft. He served as pastor at St. Louis, Royal; St. Mary's, Everly; St. Joseph, Granville and St. Mary's in Spirit Lake.

He retired on July 15, 1988.