Mass, dinner held at Cathedral to honor first place winners of Vocations Creativity Contest

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
May 18, 2006

The first place winners of the Vocations Creativity Contest were able to have dinner with Bishop R. Walker Nickless and members of the Serra Club of Siouxland on May 13.

The evening began with a 5 p.m. Mass at Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City. Bishop Nickless was the presider of the Mass. Father Brian Hughes, director of vocations for the diocese and chaplain of the Siouxland Serra Club, was the concelebrant and homilist for the Mass.

After Communion, Father Hughes announced all the winners to the congregation. Each came up to the altar to shake the bishop's hand.

The banquet was held in the parish hall at Cathedral. Terry O'Gorman, Serra Club president, welcomed the contest winners and their families on behalf of the Siouxland Serra Club.

"It is a great joy to have you all here and participate in today's Mass and banquet this evening," said O'Gorman. He continued with some facts about the Serra Club of Siouxland.

The club has been in existence in Sioux City since October 1986. There are over 880 Serrans in the United States and in other countries.

"Serra Club promotes and fosters vocations to the priesthood in the Catholic Church and a vocation to service," said O'Gorman. "We support our priests in this sacred ministry. We confirm and affirm vocations to the religious life in the Catholic Church. We assist members to recognize the call in their own lives to God's call to holiness. We pray especially for vocations."

He pointed out that the creativity contest is a joint project with the Office of Vocations for the Diocese of Sioux City.

"It is our pleasure to honor you," said O'Gorman.

Father Hughes said the opening prayer before the meal was served.

"Junipero Serra was a priest from an island off the coast of Spain," said Father Hughes. "He was a missionary to all of California. He is the patron saint to the Serra Clubs all over the United States."

Following dinner, Jolene Billings and Toby Berg, Serrans who coordinated the contest this year, announced the winners and the bishop gave them a certificate. The students also received an extra copy of The Globe where their artwork or writing was displayed. Each student read what their artwork or writing was about and took a picture with the bishop.

The first-place winners include Bryce Reynolds, kindergartner from Sioux City; Leslie Velasco, first-grader from Storm Lake; Mackenzie Laven, second-grader from Storm Lake; Maria Dentlinger, third-grader from Carroll; Brad Staley, fourth-grader from Charter Oak; Laura Thiesse, fifth-grader from Spencer; Lana Larson, sixth-grader from Algona; Kelsey Aldrich, seventh-grader from Sioux City and Jennifer Harvison, eighth-grader from Sioux City.

Serran Dick Billings introduced the bishop and asked the students how much they knew about the bishop. He asked where the bishop was from, how many brothers and sisters he has and a few other questions. The students were able to answer them right away.

"Since the bishop's ordination in January, I have had the pleasure of having several meetings with him," said Dick Billings. "I am very impressed. I don't know if you know this, but to become a bishop, you have to have a lot of love - not just for your own brothers and sisters, but for everyone. I am here to tell you that this bishop is full of love."

Bishop Nickless told the attendees that he has been looking forward to being part of the contest banquet. He noted that he has heard that this is one of the "great traditions of the Diocese of Sioux City."

"I am really glad that you are here and glad that you pray for vocations," said the bishop. "My grandmother is probably the one who is responsible for me becoming a priest. She kept talking about it all the time. Pretty soon, I was a priest. It is a wonderful thing that grandmothers do, to pray for their grandchildren to follow the Lord's call in their lives."

He continued that each of the people in the room has a vocation from God. God is calling them to do something.

"A lot of people have a hard time figuring out what God wants them to do," said Bishop Nickless. "Does he want me to get married? Does he want me to be single and do something special for the world or the community? Does he want me to be a priest, a deacon, a consecrated person or religious?"

The bishop explained that God will tell them what he wants them to do, if they keep asking him and praying for God to show them the way.

"I hope all of you continue to pray that God shows you the way he wants you to be happiest in this world," said Bishop Nickless. "If we follow God's will, we will be happy. If we try to do something else, it is not going to workout as well. We want to do what God wants."

The evening concluded with Bishop Nickless answering a few questions from the students and saying a closing blessing.