Bishop's Dinner celebrates Catholic schools

By RENEE WEBB, Globe editor
Oct. 25, 2007

About 770 guests attended the 11th Annual Bishop's Dinner for Catholic Education Oct. 21 at the Sioux City Convention Center that featured CNN journalist Soledad O'Brien as keynote speaker.

Kevin Vickery, diocesan superintendent of Catholic schools, extended a welcome.

"Once again we come together as a diocesan community to celebrate the excellence of the 27 Catholic schools in our diocese," he said. On behalf of the over 6,000 students and 600 teachers of the diocese, I would like to thank each one of you for the contributions you have made for the efforts of our ministry to enhance the work of our parishes to provide young people with a firm faith foundation in our Catholic schools."

Vickery thanked those present for their gifts of time, talent and treasure for the benefit of the Catholic schools. He also gave an overview of the first-year distribution of the tuition grants through the Msgr. Lafferty Foundation, stating that nearly 1,800 students received grants.

Kristie VerMulm, anchor at KTIV News Channel 4 in Sioux City, served as the master of ceremonies for the evening and she welcomed the chair couple of the 2007 bishop's dinner - Dick and Pat Collins of Sioux City - to the stage.

"Our family has been blessed with good schools, administrators, teachers and support staff. This dinner gives us a tremendous opportunity to thank all of the people involved in the most precious gift that God has given us and that is our children," said Pat.

She extended gratitude to the bishop's committee for their help in making the evening a success.

The Collins sent their four children to Catholic schools at Blessed Sacrament Grade School and Bishop Heelan High School. Presently they have seven grandchildren in Catholic schools and 13 nieces and nephews in Catholic schools.

Dick spoke about teaching at Heelan from 1965 to 1977 and mentioned that through the years he witnessed many dedicated teachers.

Father Merlin Schrad, pastor at Blessed Sacrament Church in Sioux City, offered the invocation prior to a gourmet meal.

Keynote address

In her keynote presentation, O'Brien spoke of her life as a journalist and Catholic family. She was introduced by Kristie Arlt, the diocesan director of communications and stewardship.

"One of the reasons why I became a journalist is because I love to be inspired," said O'Brien. "I am inspired mostly through everyday people who do remarkable things. I've had a chance to cover some big stories - the tsunami, Hurricane Katrina, politics, the impact of the war in Iraq and the list goes on and on."

O'Brien said that her daughters at ages 5 and almost 7, are aware that her job is to tell the story of persons or events that inspire their mother. She also has twin 3-year-old sons.

In covering stories such as hurricanes or the war in Iraq, she said she has noticed how faith comes through at moments when they are tested.

"It's easy to be awed by the power of a big story like the war in Iraq or a tragedy like the tsunami, but it's more amazing to be focused on the goodness following the tragedy," said the journalist.

She covered Pope John Paul II's trip to Cuba in 1998 and found it to be a story of the risks people take to live their faith. It was also a story of hope - hope that the Cubans could now freely practice their religion. Cubans asked her what it was like to be able to practice her religion at any time and that was something she hadn't given any thought to.

"I come from a large Catholic family," noted O'Brien. "My dad's twin brother is a priest and two of his sisters are nuns. My mom used to tell us that her biggest disappointment was that none of her children were clergy."

Her parents' big push, she said, was living a life of service.

"I think journalism certainly fits that bill," she said.

O'Brien said what while her life is chaotic between a career with long hours and having four children, she has never felt so deeply that she is living a life of service.

Through having a family of her own, she said it has helped her focus on stories that really matter to people like limiting poverty, the availability of affordable childcare or health insurance.

"Having children makes one think about faith, values, responsibility and work in the life you are leading, matching the life that you are talking about leading with your family and children because certainly your children will call you on it," said the speaker.

Her parents taught her the importance of perseverance in order to overcome adversity.

"My mother would tell us a story about how she first started dating my father," noted the journalist. "My mother is black and from Cuba and my father is white and from Australia. They started dating in 1958 and they used to go to daily Mass. My mother would walk and my father had a car. He would wind down the car window and ask if she needed a ride."

She usually said no, but one day she said yes and after that they started dating. They had trouble eating out because biracial couples were frowned upon. Through her parents, she learned how people can work around big obstacles such as when they had to go to Washington DC to get married because interracial marriage was illegal in Maryland in 1958.

O'Brien asked people to remember that regardless of what is happening in the world or in their own lives, they should remember that humanity is what connects everyone.

"In America, people are often defined by the job you have," she said, "but I think job opportunities come and go. The opportunities that define you as a human being - what you believe in, what you stand for, what you won't stand for - are actually far more important. Life can change really fast, we've seen that."

Awards

In addition to the keynote address, another highlight of the evening was the presentation of various awards.

Matt Greteman, chairman of the Catholic School Foundation, announced the awards that were presented by Bishop R. Walker Nickless.

"The Catholic School Foundation has sponsored this dinner since its inception and it is a privilege to be with all of you tonight and recognize some very special people who continue to make faith-based education a reality in our Catholic schools," he said.

Recipients of the Excellence in Education Teacher Award were Mary Renner, fifth and sixth grade religion teacher/fifth grade math teacher at Gehlen Catholic School in Le Mars; Mary Hunt, math and computer teacher at Spalding Catholic School in Granville; Maxine Antoine, fifth and sixth grade teacher at St. John the Baptist School in Bancroft and Mary (Donohue) Uhl, kindergarten through eighth grade guidance counselor at the elementary schools of Bishop Heelan Catholic Schools in Sioux City.

The recipient of the Excellence in Education Administrator Award was Lorie Nussbaum, who is celebrating her tenth year as principal at Gehlen Catholic Elementary School.

"The Catholic schools in the Diocese of Sioux City are truly treasures," said Nussbaum. "It is here that my heart finds joy, faith, energy, hope and passion. From the very beginning - through the committed and faithful pioneers like Peter Gehlen for whom Gehlen Catholic was named, Catholic schools have strived and thrived because they focus on Gospel values and through the work of not one, but many."

She said she was humbled and blessed to accept the honor "not for myself, but on behalf of all those who have come before me and those that I work with each and every day."

Sister Mary Lee Cox, OSF, received the Religious Award. She is a kindergarten through eighth grade English language learning teacher at Sacred Heart School in Sioux City, which is part of Bishop Heelan Catholic Schools.

"With a humble and grateful heart, I accept this award for all of the Sisters of St. Francis serving in the diocese for 120 years - that's over 2,500 of us," she said. "After coming to this country of immigrants, we desired to follow in the footsteps of Jesus by teaching the children of immigrants. It has been my privilege and challenge to continue this tradition here in Sioux City."

She credited her mother as a first teacher and mentioned that the immigrant children and their parents have taught her much about the value of Catholic education.

Closing words

As the event drew to a close, Bishop Nickless offered some closing words.

He mentioned his delight in the elevation of the diocese's former bishop, Archbishop Daniel N. DiNardo to cardinal.

The bishop also thanked the people in joining him for "my intimate, Sunday dinner. When I was in Denver, I used to love to go home on Sunday night. My mom and dad would fix me a great dinner and I can't do that anymore - so I think I will have more of these where we can all be together on Sunday nights."

He thanked the many dedicated people who helped with the dinner.

"It happened for one of the most important reasons that I can think of - for our children, the young people in our Catholic schools," said Bishop Nickless. "I would like to personally thank and congratulate our award winners. Each one is special. Each one is the best and they responded and represent so many other good Catholic teachers and administrators in our schools."

The bishop said he attended Catholic schools for over 20 years of his life and it made him what he is today.

"The values, the mission, the witness that Catholic schools continue to promote make a difference in so many people's lives and that's what we are all about," he said. "The primary reason for Catholic schools is to pass on our Catholic faith - our faith in Jesus Christ and his church. We know there is no better way to do that than Catholic schools."

He expressed gratitude to those gathered for making Catholic schools possible.

The evening concluded with prayer.