Diocesan priests celebrate jubilees

April 27, 2006

Eight priests are celebrating milestone anniversaries to the priesthood this year.

60 years

Father Raymond Calkins, a native of Emmetsburg, was born on July 11, 1921. He graduated from Emmetsburg Catholic High School. He attended Trinity College in Sioux City and St. Mary Seminary in Baltimore, Md. He earned a master's from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.

He was ordained to the priesthood on June 15, 1946 at Cathedral of the Epiphany.

Father Calkins served as chaplain at St. Anthony's in Sioux City, assistant pastor at St. Mary in Ashton, chaplain at Holy Family Hospital in Estherville, assistant pastor at St. Joseph in Granville, assistant pastor at St. Mary's in Danbury, pastor at St. Mary in Pomeroy and administrator of St. Mary's in Hawarden. From 1955 to 1984, he was on duty outside the diocese, serving as a chaplain in the United States Air Force.

He retired in 1984 and resides in Montgomery, Ala.

55 years

Msgr. Nicholas Ruba, a native of Remsen, was born on Aug. 18, 1925. He graduated from St. Mary's High School. He attended Trinity College in Sioux City and Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis.

He was ordained to the priesthood on May 19, 1951 at Cathedral. In 1982, he was given the prelate of honor and received the title of monsignor.

Msgr. Ruba served as assistant pastor at Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Carroll, assistant pastor at Blessed Sacrament in Sioux City, pastor at Christ the King in Dayton, pastor at St. Benedict in Kossuth County, pastor at St. Michael in Sioux City, pastor at St. Mary in Alton and pastor at St. Andrew in Sibley.

He retired in 1996 and resides in Remsen.

50 years

Father John Cain was born in Oyens on Feb. 3, 1923. He graduated from Moneta High School in Moneta, Iowa. He attended Loras College and Mount St. Bernard Seminary, both in Dubuque. He earned a master's from Drake University, Des Moines.

He was ordained to the priesthood on May 26, 1956 at the Cathedral.

Father Cain served as an assistant at St. Mary Parish, Remsen; assistant pastor at Corpus Christi, Fort Dodge; pastor at St. John, Gilmore City; pastor at St. Malachy, Madrid; chaplain at the State Hospital-School in Woodward; pastor at St. Joseph in Wesley and pastor at St. Mary Parish in Dow City. Father Cain also served as the director of the Rural Life Conference for the diocese.

He presently serves as the administrator of St. Joseph Parish in Sioux Rapids.

Father Robert Condon, a native of Barnum, was born on Jan. 5, 1926. He attended Corpus Christi Academy in Fort Dodge, Trinity College in Sioux City and Creighton University in Omaha before studying at Mount St. Bernard Seminary in Dubuque. He earned a doctorate at St. Louis University.

He was ordained to the priesthood on May 26,1956 at Cathedral.

Father Condon served as chaplain at the Good Shepherd Convent in Sioux City, assistant pastor at St. Mary in Ashton, assistant pastor at St. Lawrence in Carroll, faculty of Kuemper High School in Carroll, pastor at St. Joseph in Barnum, faculty/administration at St. Edmond High School in Fort Dodge and from 1968 to 1998 was on the faculty at Briar Cliff University.

He retired in 1998 and resides in Sioux City.

Father Eugene Schumacher, a native of Bancroft, was born on Feb. 24, 1929. He graduated from St. John the Baptist School in Bancroft. He attended St. John University in Collegeville, Minn. and Mount St. Bernard Seminary in Dubuque.

He was ordained to the priesthood on May 26, 1956 at Cathedral.

Father Schumacher served as an assistant pastor at St. Joseph in Le Mars, assistant pastor at Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City, assistant pastor at Immaculate Conception in Cherokee, assistant pastor at St. Mary in Ashton, faculty at Kuemper High School in Carroll, assistant pastor at St. Joseph in Carroll, pastor at St. Joseph in Struble, faculty at Gehlen High School in Le Mars, chaplain at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Sioux City, pastor at St. John Parish in Gilmore City and St. Patrick's on the Lizard, pastor at St. Mary in Armstrong, pastor at Sacred Heart in Templeton, pastor at St. Michael in Whittemore, pastor at St. Louis in Royal and pastor at Holy Name in Rock Rapids.

Father Schumacher retired in 1999 and resides in Bancroft.

25 years

Msgr. Kevin McCoy, a native of Jefferson, was born on April 24, 1954. He graduated from Jefferson Community School. He attended Des Moines Area Community College in Boone, Loras College in Dubuque and North American College - Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He completed graduate studies at the Accademia Alfonsiana in Rome.

He was ordained to the priesthood on July 25, 1981. He received the prelate of honor in 1998 and was given the title of monsignor.

Msgr. McCoy served as a temporary assistant at Immaculate Conception in Cherokee, assistant pastor at Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City, parochial vicar at Blessed Sacrament in Sioux City, diocesan director of vocations, vice chancellor of the diocese and chancellor of the diocese from 1987 to 1998. He was a member of the College of Consultors of the diocese from 1997 to 1998. In 1998, he was appointed the director of the Institute for Continuing Theological Education at the North American College in Rome. In 2000, he was appointed vice rector for administration and was named the rector of the Pontifical North American College in 2001. Last December, he was appointed director of the college's $25 million capital campaign. He is presently stationed in Washington, D.C.

Father Brian Hughes, a native of Emmetsburg, was born on Sept. 27, 1954. He graduated from Emmetsburg Catholic High School. He attended Loras College in Dubuque and St. Meinrad School of Theology in St. Meinrad, Ind. He earned a master's in architectural history from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

He was ordained to the priesthood on June 6, 1981 at St. Thomas Church in Emmetsburg.

Father Hughes has served as assistant pastor at St. Lawrence in Carroll, parochial vicar at St. Joseph in Le Mars, faculty at Gehlen High School in Le Mars, faculty at Bishop Heelan High School in Sioux City, pastor at St. Anthony in Hospers, faculty at Spalding High School in Granville, diocesan director of seminarians, assistant director of vocations, campus ministry and chaplain at Briar Cliff University, administrator at Sacred Heart in Sioux City and co-administrator of St. Boniface in Sioux City.

He presently serves at the Central Catholic Offices in Sioux City as the diocesan director of vocations.

Father Eriberto Da Costa, a native of Corumba, Brazil, was born on Dec. 21, 1941. He attended Colegio Santa Teresa in Corumba and the Pontifical Catholic University in Campinas.

He was ordained to the priesthood on Sept. 3, 1981 at Braganca Paulista, Brazil.

Father Da Costa served in pastoral ministry for the Diocese of Braganca Paulista, Brazil from 1981 to 1994. In 1994, he began ministry to Spanish-speaking parishioners at Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City. In 1997, he was appointed to ministry to the Spanish-speaking parishioners of St. Mary's in Storm Lake, as well as ministry to Spanish-speaking parishioners in Denison and Estherville. He was incardinated into the Diocese of Sioux City in 1999.