Bishop Nickless celebrates Masses to mark Catholic Schools Week

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
Feb.1, 2007

Bishop R. Walker Nickless took time during Catholic Schools Week to visit schools in the Diocese of Sioux City.

He presided at Mass at St. Patrick's Church in Sheldon on Jan. 27.

On Jan. 29, Bishop Nickless visited Gehlen Catholic School for their Catholic Schools Week Mass. Students in kindergarten through 12th grade gathered in the gym, some with parents, to participate in the Mass.

Bishop Nickless presided at the Mass. Father Dan Greving, pastor at St. Joseph Church in Struble and St. Joseph Church in Ellendale, Father Roger Linnan, pastor at Assumption Church in Merrill and St. Joseph Church in Neptune, Father Kevin Richter, pastor at St. Joseph Church in Le Mars and Father James Tigges, pastor at St. James Church in Le Mars, concelebrated at the Mass.

"It is my privilege to be here to celebrate the Eucharist. I have the opportunity to meet some of the most important people in the Diocese of Sioux City - our Catholic school students," said Bishop Nickless. "Whether you know it or not, you are the future, not only of our community, but also of our faith. From you, hopefully, we will receive many priests and consecrated persons to serve the church."

Two third graders, Liam Murphy and Emily Oetken, and three seniors, Alex Loutsch, Brooke Langel and Jennifer Nussbaum, were chosen to join Bishop Nickless and help him with the homily.

He asked the younger students about what things in their lives are important. They responded with life, family, love, friends, etc. The bishop asked the students what they would do some day when they are parents to make sure their children learn about those important things. The two said they would send them to school.

"They would help you as parents teach what you thought was important," said Bishop Nickless. "That is exactly what the beginnings of our Catholic school system in this country did. The parents who came over to our country wanted to make sure the Catholic faith could be shared with their children."

He talked about the difference in the Catholic and public schools. The students answered questions about what they can do going to a Catholic that they wouldn't be able to do at a public school - talk about God, Jesus, Mary and the saints.

"Can we celebrate first Communions and learn about the sacraments at a public school?" asked the bishop. The students responded "no."

"We have all kinds of ways to pass on our Catholic faith. We hear something in the Scripture every time we come to Mass that tells us about the faith," said Bishop Nickless.

The older students were tested on how well they listened to each of the readings and the Gospel and what they meant. One of the students had done a reading during the Mass.

During the homily, the bishop encouraged the students to go home and "tell your mom and dad thanks for sending me to a Catholic school."

The offertory gifts were presented by four generations of the Langel family who have graduated from or are attending Gehlen. The four included Marvin Langel (class of '53), David (class of '72), Mick (class of '93) and Alec (first grader at Gehlen).

At the conclusion of the Mass, Kevin Vickery, superintendent of Catholic schools for the Diocese of Sioux City, said a few words.

"Catholic schools are the good news in education," said Vickery. "They are the good news because we know that is the way we will transform society. I am especially grateful to the Gehlen community and the communities of all the parishes in Plymouth County that have supported Gehlen throughout the years."

The bishop also presided at Mass at St. Mary's Church in Remsen on Jan. 29 for the St. Catherine-St. Mary's Grade School students and the St. Mary's High School students. Mass was concelebrated by Father Bill McCarthy, pastor at St. Mary's Church.

"It is really wonderful to be here," said Bishop Nickless. "I love your church and I have been here many times. It is a wonderful gift to have such a beautiful place to celebrate Mass every week."

The bishop followed a format similar to the homily at Gehlen. He invited two younger (fourth graders) and two older students (an eighth grader and a senior) to the front of the church to assist him with the homily.

He asked the younger students what is important in their lives. They responded with similar answers to the students at Gehlen.

"There is only one reason to have a Catholic school and that is to teach the Catholic faith," said Bishop Nickless. "Your teachers love to talk about Jesus and that is why they are here, too. They get to talk about values and things they could never talk about in a public school."

The other two volunteers answered questions about the readings and the Gospel.

"The author of Hebrews was telling us about what happens to people who try to do what God wants them to do," said Bishop Nickless. "They were willing to die, to go meet the lions and to go do whatever they had to do to be faithful to God and to keep the commandments. They were doing it for only one reason that God would be faithful to his promise - to save the world."

Bishop Nickless mentioned to the students that they should thank their parents for sending them to a Catholic school when they went home that night.

"We are grateful for the opportunity to learn about our faith like we do in a Catholic school," said the bishop.

Vickery also made a few comments at the end of Mass.

"Here at St. Catherine's and St. Mary's, both in the parishes and in the schools, we are all the body of Christ. You do not know how beautiful it is to see you, the future of the church, sitting here knowing that you will spread the good news," said Vickery.

At both Masses on Jan. 29, the bishop and Kevin Vickery had the teachers, parents, administrators, priests and students stand for a round of applause for being part of Catholic schools.

After Mass at Remsen, the bishop joined the students and their parents for a picnic in the gym at St. Mary's High School.

Later in the week, Bishop Nickless visited Sacred Heart School in Sioux City for Mass on Feb. 1. He will also preside at Mass at the Cathedral of the Epiphany on Feb. 2 for Bishop Heelan High School students.