Priests celebrate years of ministry, service during jubilee Mass

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
April 19, 2007

On April 16, priests of the Diocese of Sioux City celebrating jubilees were honored with a Mass at Immaculate Conception Church in Sioux City and dinner at the Sioux City Convention Center.

Bishop R. Walker Nickless presided at the Mass. In opening comments, he welcomed the jubliarians, priests and all those gathered. He also asked for prayers for the students that were murdered at Virginia Tech and their families.

"We also remember our deceased priests and those who have served the Diocese of Sioux City well," said the bishop.

Father Gerald Wingert is celebrating his 60th anniversary of the priesthood. Fathers Ed Adams and Patrick Joe Nooney mark their 55th anniversary. Celebrating 50 years of the priesthood are Fathers Gerald Fisch, Francis Nemmers, Leo Riesberg, Don Smith and J. Charles Yetmar. Three priests are celebrating their 25th anniversary: Fathers Miles Barrett, Dan Guenther and Tim Hogan.

The priests in attendance at the Mass included Fathers Wingert, Adams, Nooney, Fisch, Riesberg, Smith, Guenther and Hogan. Also in attendance were two priests who are no longer serving the diocese but are natives. They were Fathers Douglas Dandurand and William Ortmann, a native of Remsen.

Jubiliarians Fathers Hogan and Guenther proclaimed the readings and petitions during the Mass.

Father Merle Kollasch, pastor at Resurrection of Our Lord Parish in Pocahontas and St. Margaret in Rolfe, read the Gospel and was the homilist for the liturgy.

"We've come to honor our jubilarians, families and friends," said Father Kollasch. "We rejoice together for what God has done for them, in them and through them for so many years."

He noted that the readings for the day were well chosen.

"Priests are to study and seek, pray and pardon, shepherd and teach, to labor and love as the Spirit moves them," said the homilist of instructions for priests from the readings. "In honoring the jubilarians, we acknowledge our thankfulness to God whose call has been answered."

He related the priesthood to marriage.

"Each seminarian has a romantic notion of what priesthood will be," said Father Kollasch. "Our romantic notion of priesthood is good in its place, but because it is too idealistic, in time it gives way to disillusionment."

Father Kollasch mentioned that the romantic notion of priesthood might come from other priests that are admired and looked up to. He added that once a person becomes a priest they discover what it will entail for them.

He recounted stories from his priesthood as well as a story about two priests who served in the area in the 1800s.

During the liturgy of the Eucharist, Fathers Guenther, Hogan, Dandurand and Riesberg joined Bishop Nickless on the altar to concelebrate.

Before the final blessing, Father Guenther, pastor at Immaculate Conception in Sioux City, thanked several people for their part in the celebration.

"Thank you Bishop Nickless for being with us, sharing with us and shepherding us in our priesthood. We will continue to keep you in prayer," said Father Guenther. "I would like to thank Merle Kollasch, our homilist today. He was the vocations director when Doug, Tim and I were seminarians."

Father Hogan then stood up and thanked Father Guenther for planning and organizing the celebration.

"Thank you my brother priests for being here and families and friends who have joined us today," said Bishop Nickless. "Especially to the jubilarians, I want to offer my congratulations and my thanks for your priestly ministry. The witness of your life has meant much to us. We see in you some wonderful gifts. We thank you for the willingness you have given all these years to share those gifts with the church and the people of God."

He added that the Lord has chosen them and thanked the priests for being a great witness to that.

"Thank you for celebrating so wonderfully the mysteries that we are privileged to celebrate, for preaching the Gospel and for ministering to God's holy people," said Bishop Nickless."We love you, we thank you and we wish you many more years of priestly service. God bless you."

Following Mass, the priests traveled to the Sioux City Convention Center for dinner.