Bishop Nickless marks two years in diocese

By RENEE WEBB, Globe editor
Jan. 17, 2008

As Bishop R. Walker Nickless concludes his second year as Bishop of the Diocese of Sioux City, now more than ever he realizes the importance of following God's plan.

"It is in surrendering to what God wants and not what we want that makes all of the difference," he said. "I've learned that more as a bishop than at any other time in my life. God has his reasons. God has his plan and for me and for us in Sioux City, it is unfolding for us together."

Through his ministry as a bishop, he has discovered his increased dependence on prayer and has realized the value and need in starting each day with a long period of prayer.

"My own faith has been strengthened because I've had to rely on and use prayer more and more," said Bishop Nickless.

He will celebrate his second anniversary as Bishop of Sioux City on Jan. 20.

"I continue to look upon this as a tremendous blessing in my life from God," said Bishop Nickless, who noted that being named a bishop was totally unexpected. "The whole reason I became a priest was to lead people to the Lord and to do it with my meager talents and abilities. What I am so awestruck about is that God uses my simple talents in a way that I never could - with his grace and his input, I can do much more than I ever thought possible."

While it has been difficult to leave family, friends and his parish in the Archdiocese of Denver, he trusts that this is where God wants him to be.

GROWING IN HOLINESS

"I'm not sure what talents and abilities that God wants to use, but I feel at home here, I feel comfortable. I want to make a difference. I want to see the church and all of us grow in holiness," stressed Bishop Nickless. "I want the good things that we are doing to be done well and not to be afraid to dream and look at new ways of doing things - even doing old things in new ways especially in terms of evangelization."

Being named a bishop made for a huge change in his life, but it has been a good one.

"The people of the diocese are totally impressive. They are filled with faith and it's obvious in their devotion and their love for the Eucharist," he said. "My challenge is to lead them from where they are now to something more - to more joy and knowledge of their faith."

Bishop Nickless referred to the new evangelization, saying it was something that Catholics need to take seriously. It is centered on reaching out to "luke-warm" Catholics and renewing their excitement and love for the Lord and church.

The new evangelization is a goal of the larger Catholic Church, but the bishop believes that it can apply here in the Midwest as parishioners sometimes become almost too comfortable with the faith in a routine sort of way.

"The Lord is always asking us for more and I see it as my job to inspire more than just mediocrity - than just being satisfied with where we are at. To have a vision and an excitement about something that can take us to a whole new place in terms of our love of the Lord and the Gospel," he said. "It revitalizes the church and makes us attractive to others. We should not be afraid to talk about our faith and to live it."

HIGHLIGHTS OF SERVICE

Some of the highlights of his ministry have been ordinations of priests and deacons as well as confirmations.

"The joy to be able to ordain deacons and priests was something I didn't fully appreciate how wonderful it is to be able to do. To be an instrument of God and to pass on his power to men, ordaining them to be deacons and priests with the power they have to make Christ present in our world is truly a grace for me," said the bishop. "I feel I am simply God's instrument in accomplishing what he wants for us - ultimately that is to grow in holiness and to become saints. I see that as my role - to be that instrument in my preaching and my teaching and my leadership."

Confirmations bring joy to Bishop Nickless because he loves to be around young people to affirm, challenge and teach them. In addition, he also finds confirmations to be teachable moments for the sponsors and parents.

While he isn't crazy about traveling, Bishop Nickless said he very much enjoys visiting the various parishes of the diocese. Whether it's in the Southeast corner of the diocese at Boone or Madrid or in the Northeast region in Algona - he has found it a joy to discover the unique flavor of each part of the diocese.

"One of the things that truly gives me life is the 5 p.m. Mass at the Cathedral because I can exercise my priesthood in a relatively stable community and welcome many who want to come celebrate Mass with the bishop," he said. "I find it wonderfully uplifting and refreshing. It would be very difficult to be a bishop if I didn't have that to look forward to every week and I miss it when I'm not there."

The intimacy of a parish family is one of the things that he misses most about life as a parish pastor. The weekly Mass at Cathedral helps supply pastoral energy.

Bishop Nickless said parishioners of the diocese continue to affirm his episcopal vocation as they offer words of gratitude for his "yes" to following the call and let him know that he is in their prayers.

In turn, he continues to affirm the priests of the diocese.

"The utter dedication and commitment of the priests is something that is a real strength to the Diocese of Sioux City," he said. "Our priests work very hard. Sometimes it's lonely work. Sometimes there are not many rewards. The priests are a great resource for me and great support."

He referred to the priests of the diocese as one of his greatest blessings.

"I have found wonderful priest collaborators to work with," said the bishop, who mentioned that the Presbyteral Council has been revised. "We have input from local deans and representatives at every meeting, every month, so I feel I have a good pulse on what are some of the issues and problems that we deal with."

CHALLENGES OF JOB

Most people can imagine there are many challenges to the ministry.

"All the time you continue to wonder if you are making the right decisions, but on this side of heaven we are all imperfect and so we do the best we can," noted the bishop. "I can truly say I am trying to do the best I can. God will take the best I can give him and do the rest. His will be done one way or another."

By his episcopal ordination and the grace that came from the anointing of the Holy Spirit, the bishop said he has felt a tangible difference as the power of the Holy Spirit works through him just as the spirit worked through the Twelve Apostles.

"One of my biggest regrets is not being able to speak Spanish well enough to say Mass for our Hispanic brothers and sisters," said Bishop Nickless. "I am so grateful for all of the priests who speak Spanish and represent me to this group in our diocese. We are very blessed to have the Hispanic presence here and it adds a lot of flavor and diversity to our local church."

Another regret of the bishop's is that because so much of his time is taken up by administrative matters, he doesn't have as much time getting to know the priests on a "brotherly, fatherly level." He continues to evaluate this situation and find a way that will allow him time to get to know the priests in a more personal way.

As bishop, he noted that people of the diocese have shown great respect and reverence to him and while he appreciates that very much the down side is that they sometimes put him up on a pedestal. He's treated almost like a celebrity of sorts when he considers himself to be a simple man called by God to live among us and serve as bishop.

His meetings don't stop here in the diocese as he has responsibilities statewide and on the national level with brother bishops. Taking time away from pastoral opportunities can be difficult, but he is aware of the significance of such gatherings. Decisions made at the U.S. bishops' meetings, he noted, "can have profound implications on people in the country and the way they live their faith. It is critical that we have dependence on the Holy Spirit and the grace that he gives. Ultimately, he is guiding the church."

Along with the business-type relationship with fellow bishops, he has formed supportive relationships with many. He recently attended a retreat with several bishops from the region.

"There is a real support and camaraderie that is present among the bishops. We all know what each other is going through and we are there for each other," said Bishop Nickless.

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE

With the great faith of the parishioners in the diocese and the solid foundation that was already in place prior to his arrival; Bishop Nickless sees an opportunity to build from there.

The head shepherd has great hope for the future that "somehow together we are going to make a difference in the Diocese of Sioux City." The bishop added, "The church is alive and dynamic and if we don't grow and change then we are dead."

As bishop, his main responsibilities are to proclaim the Gospel and to teach, govern and guide the people of the diocese.

He expressed concern with the number of diocesan seminarians "because without priests we do not have the Eucharist and without the Eucharist we do not have the church. We truly need more priests and they are there. I need parents, families and friends to encourage young men to let God lead their lives."

If Catholics become alive in their faith, their excitement can not only work to attract others to the faith but also nurture vocations.

Bishop Nickless noted that he hopes to have a pastoral letter soon to address where the Catholic Church has come in the 40 years since Vatican II and where it needs to go, particularly in Northwest Iowa. It will cover these areas: appreciation and love of the Eucharist, adult education and catechesis, building strong families, vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life and forming a missionary spirit in all Catholics.

"Those are the directions that I want to continue to strengthen and look for new ways to implement them," he said. "We can never learn enough about our faith so we constantly have to be growing, reading, asking questions and listening to what the church is saying and how she is teaching us."