Priests and sisters share their call to religious life

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
January 15, 2004

Priests and sisters serving in the Diocese of Sioux City tell their vocation stories and share what they would say to someone considering a religious vocation.

Father Thomas Geelan

Father Thomas Geelan, a native of Ruthven, has been a priest since May of 1962. He has been in Graettinger for little over a year at Immaculate Conception Parish.

"I did everything," said Father Geelan. "I was on about every committee that the bishop had."

Father Geelan was on the personnel board twice, on the priests counsel twice and is currently on the corporation board. He was a superintendent, a principal or a teacher for about 28 years. Most recently, he was pastor at Blessed Sacrament in Sioux City.

"I spent most of my priesthood addressing the needs of high school students," said Father Geelan. "I have worked in about six different high schools. I enjoyed those students very much and the teachers as well."

"I became a priest by accident," said Father Geelan. "That's really true. When I graduated from high school, I felt I didn't know very much about my religion at all. I didn't intend to go into the seminary department, but the registrar put me in that. After six weeks I decided it would be better to have a bishop giving me orders than a sergeant, so I dropped out of ROTC and got so busy in the seminary that I never quit."

After being a priest for 41 years, Father Geelan commented that it is a happy thing, very satisfying and that those who decline the priesthood are missing out on something.

"The satisfaction and happiness that come from being a celibate priest are immeasurable," said Father Geelan. "To serve the needs of all of God's people wherever they may be is something very satisfying and that is why I have never had a doubt about my being a priest and being called to the priesthood. I think God gave me many blessings, and because of that, I said yes."

Father Roger Linnan

Father Roger Linnan, a native of Pocahontas, was also ordained in 1962. He is currently pastor at Sacred Heart in Spencer and has been there for six years.

Prior to being in Spencer, Father Linnan served in many different capacities. He was a pastor, a faculty member at Bishop Heelan High School, the director of religious education for the diocese, an assistant superintendent of religious education in Sioux City, the diocesan director of the permanent diaconate program and chaplain of the Carmelite Sisters.

"I have had the privilege of working with wonderful people, serving wonderful people," said Father Linnan. "I enjoy celebrating the sacraments. I enjoy visiting people in the hospital. I guess I enjoy the various ministerial things that I do."

Father Linnan, who has also been a priest for 41 years, felt the call through people in his life.

"There were people in my home parish who continued to say to me that it was something that I should consider," said Father Linnan. "I thought I should give it a try."

Father Linnan added that he would tell someone considering a vocation, "If that is God's call, you will find a lot of satisfaction in it."

Sister Janet May, OSF

Sister Janet Mary, OSF, a native of Stacyville, Iowa, has been a sister since 1962. She is currently the director of campus ministry for Briar Cliff University in Sioux City and has been there since mid-October.

Sister Janet's ministry started as a high school science and religion teacher. She then moved into part-time campus ministry and part-time vocation ministry for four years. She continued in campus ministry full-time for six years, and then left Iowa and did campus ministry and youth ministry for five years in Colorado. For eight years Sister Janet was in leadership in her community in Dubuque. Before taking her position at Briar Cliff, she worked in vocations for her community for four years.

At Briar Cliff, Sister Janet is able to use her previous experiences to relate to the students and to help them find their call in life.

"I think I bring an ability to listen deeper and to perhaps be able to journey with people through stages of exploration and to give some spiritual guidance to that. I kind of recognize some of the signs when someone may be called. I can walk with them with the questions they have," explained Sister Janet. "I would say check out the possibilities. Open yourself to the possibility that God may be calling you to religious life as one of the options. I would invite people to really pray, to listen, to look at their gifts, to really see what attracts them in life and where their energy is."

Sister Janet felt that the sisters who taught her helped her decide that being a sister was for her. Her father's sister, her aunt, was a sister in the community. She commented that she was so happy and full of life.

"I guess I really felt called to a kind of lifestyle where I would have the freedom to be about ministry full-time and have the support of a group of women, which is what community provided," said Sister Janet. "God and prayer were always important to me. I personally struggled with giving up all the things that a teenager does - the fun stuff. I think the attraction to the call just wouldn't go away. God just kept bugging me. It has been life-giving for me because I am a better person as a result of it. I really love the lifestyle and love life."

Sister Joan Stoffel, OSF

Sister Joan Stoffel, OSF, a native of Le Mars/Oyens, has been a sister since 1952 with the Sisters of St. Francis of Dubuque. She is currently the director of curriculum and instructional services for the Diocese of City and has been with the Central Catholic Offices since 1993.

Her ministry has consisted mostly of teaching in Catholic education. Sister Joan was a principal for about 15 years, taught at Briar Cliff University and St. Mary's in Winona, Minn. She taught music and about every grade.

"Our community is a wonderful community and I've been awakened to many of the ways that people can help make our world a better place," said Sister Joan. "I think that somehow there is a place for religious in being leaders and helping all people to understand what we can do as individuals and as a community to make the world better."

Sister Joan explained that she had always wanted to be a sister. In school, she was taught by the Christian Charity Sisters in Le Mars and Franciscans in Oyens and Remsen.

"There were religious in our family, I had an aunt that was a religious," said Sister Joan. "I think it was the inspiration of the sisters, and I remember when I was in seventh grade walking up the front sidewalk to the Oyens rectory and saying, 'I am going to be a sister.' That was it. I knew that is what I wanted to do. Really from first grade on I had that intention."

A vocation is a lifelong journey and commitment. Sister Joan noted that with her facing retirement, she knows that her vocation is what she really is all the way through.

"Being a sister will not end at all," said Sister Joan. "I'm not retiring from my vocation and that gives me much joy, consolation and peace. I'm just thinking my work as a sister is not over. The teaching part or the school part is just one part of what I am as a sister. It's a lifelong commitment of your whole being. That is what gives me the most joy."