Vocation brings joy to sister, diocesan priest

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
Jan. 10, 2008

The call to priesthood or consecrated religious life came in a different way for each priest or sister but each call came from God.

Sister Louise Scieszinski professed vows as a sister of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary order in 1957, so she has been a sister for 50 years.

"I was drawn by the lives of the sisters I knew who lived and worked in the Presentation community and the Presentation ministry," she said. "They taught me in school."

She said that her parents were "people of strong faith."

"I very much wanted to give my life to doing something that was helpful to people. I was interested in teaching," said Sister Louise.

Some of the joys in her ministry have been the inspiration of her fellow sisters and the charism Nano Nagle, the founder of the PBVM order.

Sister Louise is currently the principal at St. Mary School in Humboldt and has been there since the summer of 1999. She has had the opportunity to teach and work with children and their families. She enjoys "the spirit of the children and families and the outstanding teachers."

Prior to serving in the Diocese of Sioux City at St. Mary's, she served at schools in the Archdiocese of Dubuque.

Father Tim Johnson, a native of St. Joseph Parish in Wesley, was ordained a priest in June of 1993 and is currently serving at Holy Trinity Parish in Webster County. He said he became aware of his vocation in 1987 after serving for two years overseas.

"I moved to Maquoketa and I had a wonderful priest there at Sacred Heart Church," said Father Johnson. "Not that I was overly close to him, but he made me feel comfortable there, as an outsider coming into a new community. He got me involved in the church."

From there, he said he was able to listen to God more "freely and openly. That is when I started listening to the calling."

"I believe it was truly his sense of comfort. He (the pastor in Maquoketa) didn't say anything to me. It was his sense of spirit and how it was conveyed to the community allowed me more comfort in listening to God, listening to the call," said the priest.

He said he was quiet about his vocation because he didn't know how his friends and family would understand it.

"Father Al McCoy was very positive and supportive about what I felt about going into the priesthood," said Father Johnson. "He told me to be myself and let God give me direction."

His decision to become a diocesan priest was mainly due to his experience with diocesan priests. He appreciated the work of religious order priests, but his main memories were of the pastors at his parish growing up.

"It was a natural flow from their presence in my life and how significant our little parish was within our community and within our own family," said Father Johnson. "I guess that is how I felt called to the priesthood and the Diocese of Sioux City."

The main joy of his ministry has been celebrating the sacraments.

"I love the sacraments," said the priest. "When I am able to prayerfully enter into the sacraments - Eucharist, baptism, marriage, funeral - I feel a strong sense of God, not only within myself but also within the people who are participating in the sacrament. To me that is the essence of joy in the priesthood. It is a wonderful source of joy and grace in my ministry."