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Twelve priests celebrate milestone anniversaries to priesthood

Twelve priests in the Diocese of Sioux City are celebrating milestone jubilees this year.
Father Gerald Wingert is marking his 65th anniversary while Father Edmond Adams and Father Joseph Nooney are celebrating their 60th anniversary. Seven priests are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year: Father Marvin Boes, Father Thomas Geelan, Father Roger Linnan, Father James McCormick, Father Richard Remmes, Father Gene Sitzmann and Father Richard Sitzmann. Another two priests, Father Harry McAlpine and Father Dennis Meinen, are marking their 25th anniversary.

The jubilarians will be honored at a 4:30 p.m. Mass celebrated by Bishop Walker Nickless on May 7 at Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City.

65th anniversary
Father Wingert, the son of Lawrence and Mary Catherine (Thissen) Wingert, was born on Jan. 3, 1922, in Cresco, Iowa. He attended St. Joseph Grade School in Wesley, Sacred Heart High School in Waterloo and Wesley High School. He then attended two years at Loras College in Dubuque, followed by studies at Trinity College in Sioux City and St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minn.
Bishop Edmond Heelan ordained him to the priesthood on May 31, 1947, at Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City.
Father Wingert served at St. Mary Parish, Remsen; St. Patrick Parish, Sheldon; St. Lawrence Parish, Carroll; St. Joseph Parish, Struble while attending in Maurice; St. Joseph Parish, Neptune; St. Margaret Parish, Rolfe; Immaculate Conception Parish, Moville; St. Catherine Parish, Oyens; St. Mary Parish, Auburn; Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Holstein; St. Joseph Parish, Schaller; St. Mary Parish, Mallard; and Sacred Heart Parish, Livermore.
He retired in 1992 and resides in Algona.

60th anniversaries
Father Adams, a native of Fort Dodge, was born to Raymond and Katherine (Brenner) Adams on Nov. 8, 1919. He attended Sacred Heart Grade and High School in Fort Dodge before college studies at Trinity in Sioux City. He continued studies at Loras College in Dubuque, St. Louis University in St. Louis, Mo. and completed major seminary studies at St. Mary Seminary in Baltimore, Md.
He was ordained on June 7, 1952, by Bishop Joseph Mueller at Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City.
Father Adams served at Immaculate Conception Parish, Sioux City; St. John the Baptist Parish, Bancroft; SS. Peter and Paul Parish, Carroll; St. John Parish, Gilmore City; St. Patrick of Lizard; St. Joseph Parish, Wall Lake; St. Mary Parish, Larchwood and St. Mary Parish, Hawarden. He also served outside the diocese at the Society of St. James the Apostle – South American Mission.
The priest said he enjoyed the priesthood very much and looks at priestly ministry from the point of “agony and ecstasy.” The ecstasy comes from God’s sanctifying grace given to the people through the Eucharist and the agony comes from the poor, fallen nature of humanity.
He added, “We are holding the sacramental Jesus up and saying ‘Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world’ and that holds such tremendous power you can hardly think about it.” While, on the other hand, the state of humanness brings the fallen nature and weakened flesh.
Father Adams, who retired in 1994, expressed gratitude to the bishop and the people of the diocese for his 60 years of priesthood. He resides in Fort Dodge.

Father Nooney, who was born on Sept. 24, 1922, in Sioux City, is the son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Crotty) Nooney. He attended St. Joseph Grade School, Trinity High School and Trinity College in Sioux City. He then studied for one year at Loras College in Dubuque and four years at St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minn.
Bishop Mueller ordained him on June 7, 1952, at Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City.
“I have thoroughly enjoyed the priesthood, especially offering the Mass, hearing confessions and the sacrament of the sick,” he said. “As an assistant pastor in two parishes, I enjoyed working with the Christian Family Movement.”
Father Nooney served at St. Anthony's Orphanage, Sioux City; St. Patrick Parish, Estherville; St. Lawrence Parish, Carroll; St. Joseph Parish, Struble while attending Maurice; Gehlen Catholic High School, Le Mars; Sacred Heart Parish, Manning; Immaculate Conception Parish, Moville; Sacred Heart Parish, Ayrshire; St. Mary Parish, Rock Valley while attending Sacred Heart Parish, Alvord; St. Cecilia Parish, Sanborn; St. Joseph Parish, Hartley; St. Joseph Parish, Sioux City; St. Margaret Parish, Rolfe; St. Michael Parish, Kingsley; and Marian Health Center as chaplain as well as Trinity Regional Hospital in Fort Dodge as chaplain. He also served outside the diocese at the Society of St. James the Apostle – South American Mission.
In addition, for 20 years he served as the state chaplain for the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) and one year in 1959-1960 was their national chaplain. He also served for 20 years as the chaplain of the Boy Scouts of America and received the Silver Beaver and St. George Award. Father Nooney worked for 20 years as the chaplain of the Bethany House of Prayer in Fort Dodge.
“At the Benedictine Monastery in Pecos, N.M., I learned the art of being a spiritual director and that process changed my life forever,” he said. “I have been a happy priest ever since.”
Father Nooney retired in 1996 and continues to reside in Fort Dodge.

50th anniversaries
Father Marvin Boes was born on Aug. 13, 1931, in Carroll to Anthony and Matilda (Fleskes) Boes. He attended St. Bernard School in Breda before going to St. Benedict College in Atchison, Kan. He then went on to Mount St. Bernard Seminary in Dubuque. He received his master’s in education degree from Creighton University in Omaha, Neb.
He was ordained on May 26, 1962, at Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City by Bishop Mueller.
Father Boes served at Bishop Heelan High School, Sioux City; Assumption Parish, Emmetsburg; Bishop Garrigan High School, Algona; Sacred Heart Parish, Boone; Cathedral of the Epiphany, Sioux City; St. Phillip Parish, Hornick; St. Casimir Parish, Sioux City; St. Boniface Parish, Sioux City; St. Malachy Parish, Madrid; and the State Hospital-School in Woodward. Father Boes also served as a chaplain for the U.S. Air Force and the Iowa Air National Guard. He served as coordinator of the Ministry to Minorities in the diocese. He was the chaplain at Villa Maria in Sioux City.
“As a priest I’ve enjoyed greatly the privilege of participating in a variety of ministries in civilian and military life with a good number of cultural, ethnic and other groups of people,” said Father Boes.
In 2001 Father Boes retired but he has continued to serve as director of the Diocesan Peace and Justice Commission.

Father Thomas Geelan was born in Ruthven to Francis and Mary (Doyle) Geelan on March 18, 1936.
He attended elementary school at Highland #6 of Palo Alto County and Silver Lake High School in Ayrshire. He then went to college at St John’s University in Collegeville, Minn. and studied Seminary at Mount St. Bernard Seminary in Dubuque. In addition, he earned his master’s in education degree from Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. and also spent time studying at the University of San Francisco, Loyola University in Chicago, Ill., University of Dayton in Ohio and University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind.
Bishop Mueller ordained Father Geelan on May 26, 1962, at the Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City.
He served at Immaculate Conception Parish and High School, Cherokee; Bishop Garrigan High School, Algona; St. Joseph Parish and St. Benedict Grade School, Wesley; St. Benedict Parish; St. John Parish and St. John High School, Bancroft; Gehlen High School, Le Mars; Kuemper High School, Carroll; St. Columbkille Parish, Varina; St. Mary High School, Storm Lake; Sacred Heart Parish, Boone; Blessed Sacrament Parish, Sioux City; and Immaculate Conception Parish, Graettinger.
Father Geelan retired in 2007 and currently resides in Ruthven.
“It has been a wonderful experience serving God and His people, especially being privileged to offer the Mass and administer the sacraments. Helping people to grow in their spirituality and knowledge of the Catholic faith has been my life,” he said. “Teaching God’s Word has really been a privilege that is unequalled in our schools and parishes. It has been a great half century.”

Father Roger Linnan is the son of William and Bernice (Cavanaugh) Linnan of Pocahontas. He was born on March 27, 1936, in Fort Dodge.
He attended Sacred Heart School in Pocahontas before going to the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. and Loras College in Dubuque. After college, he pursued the Seminary by attending St. Meinrad School of Theology in St. Meinrad, Ind. He received his master’s degree from Creighton University in Omaha, Neb. and his Ph.D. from Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
Bishop Mueller ordained Father Linnan on May 26, 1962, at the Cathedral of the Epiphany, Sioux City.
Father Linnan is currently the pastor for St. Mary Parish of Hawarden and St. Patrick Parish of Akron.
He said as a priest he has enjoyed preaching and teaching as well as the opportunity to make lasting friendships with priests, deacons and lay people in the Diocese of Sioux City.
He served at Corpus Christi Parish, Fort Dodge; Bishop Heelan High School, Sioux City; Carmelite Monastery; Cathedral of the Epiphany, Sioux City; St. Thomas Parish, Manson; St. Joseph Parish, Jefferson while attending in Grand Junction and Scranton; St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Rockwell City; Men’s Reformatory, Rockwell City; Sacred Heart Parish, Spencer; Assumption Parish, Merrill and St. Joseph Parish, Neptune. He also served as chaplain at the Carmelite Monastery in Sioux City.
Father Linnan held various positions in the chancery, serving as the assistant superintendent for the Office of Education, diocesan director of religious education, director of Church Ministries, director of the Office of the Permanent Diaconate, and as the director of continuing education for priests for the Diocese of Sioux City.

Father James D. McCormick is the son of Elmo and Virgilla (Lawler) McCormick. He was born on April 23, 1936. He attended Duncombe Elementary and Fort Dodge High School, St. John’s University in Collegeville, Minn. and Mount St. Bernard Seminary, Dubuque. He earned a master’s in education from Creighton University.
This native of Duncombe was ordained on May 26, 1962, by Bishop Mueller at Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City.
Father McCormick served at St. Cecelia Parish, Algona; Bishop Heelan High School, Sioux City; Cathedral of the Epiphany, Sioux City, Sacred Heart Parish, Boone; Sacred Heart Parish, Ledyard; St. John the Baptist High School, Bancroft; St. Joseph Parish, Barnum; St. Edmond High School, Fort Dodge; Sts. Peter and Paul, West Bend; Holy Spirit Parish, Carroll and St. Mary Parish, Willey. In addition, he has also served as the assistant director of PAVLA (Papal Volunteers for Latin America) in Sioux City, as seminary faculty for Opus Spiritus Sancti in the Diocese of Moshi, Tanzania as well as the rector of Opus Spiritus Sancti in Germany.
He retired in 2008.

Father Richard Remmes, a native of Charter Oak, was born on Oct. 16, 1933, to Bernard and Verna (Staley) Remmes. Father Remmes attended St. Boniface School and Charter Oak High School before heading off to Loras College in Dubuque. After college, he pursued the seminary by attending Mount St. Bernard Seminary in Dubuque. He obtained his master’s degree at Creighton University in Omaha, Neb.
He was ordained on May 26, 1962, at Cathedral of the Epiphany in Sioux City by Bishop Mueller.
Father Remmes served at Sacred Heart Parish, Boone; St. Mary Parish and St. Mary High School, Storm Lake; St. Joseph Parish, Neptune; Gehlen Catholic High School, Le Mars; St. Edmond High School, Fort Dodge; St. Joseph Parish, Barnum; St. John Parish, Arcadia; St. Joseph Parish, Milford; Holy Spirit Parish, Carroll; and Holy Name Parish, Marcus.
In his years as a priest, he said he most enjoyed offering Mass, visiting the sick and working with high school students.
“I thank God everyday for calling me to the priesthood and for my happy, healing life,” Father Remmes said.
Father Remmes retired in 2003 and currently resides in Arcadia.

Father Eugene Sitzmann, who resides at Maryhill, was born to Edwin and Irene (Nugent) Sitzmann on June 13, 1935. A native of Le Mars, he went to St. Joseph School and Gehlen High School before attending Westmar College, Le Mars; St. Benedict’s, Atchison, Kan.; and the University of Louvain in Louvain, Belgium. Father Sitzmann also earned a master’s degree in social work at the University of Iowa.
Bishop Honore van Waeyenbergh ordained him at the Catholic University of Louvain, American College, on July 1, 1962.
Father Sitzmann served at St. Joseph Parish, Sioux City; Corpus Christi Parish, Fort Dodge; St. Rose of Lima Parish, Denison; Holy Spirit Parish and Kuemper High School, Carroll; St. John Parish, Quimby and Visitation Parish, Maryhill. He also served as chaplain at the Mental Health Institute and director of the clinical pastoral education program there.
He retired from full-time ministry in 2005.
“I am now focused on assisting with the development of a Marian Rosary Devotional site for the diocese at Maryhill following the destructive storm that took down the parish church in 2006 and brought about the closure of the parish. The Rosary Shrine and Parish Memorial Site is to be dedicated on Sunday, Aug. 12,” Father Sitzmann said.
Through the years, he has most enjoyed serving a rural parish for many years in line with his personal and family heritage together with serving both the mentally ill and walking well outpatients and their families at the Cherokee Mental Health Institute. Along with this, supervising the early pastoral training experiences of more than 400 seminary students of various Christian Faith traditions.
“Nearly all our diocesan seminarians participated in Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) program that I supervised during those years,” he said.
As promised to those who are called and who respond, he said blessings for him have been at least 100-fold (cf. Matthew: 19:29).

Father Richard Sitzmann was born on April, 16, 1935, in Le Mars to Arnold and Olive (Strub) Sitzmann. A native of the rural Hinton area, Father Sitzmann attended the Lincoln Township School No. 1, St. Joseph School of Le Mars and Bishop Heelan High School in Sioux City before attending Immaculate Conception Seminary College in Conception, Mo. He then went on to Mount St. Bernard Seminary in Dubuque. He earned a master’s in education degree from Creighton University in Omaha, Neb.
Bishop Mueller ordained him on May 26, 1962, at the Cathedral of Epiphany in Sioux City.
He said in the years as a priest, he has most enjoyed his priest friends who he has “shared my life with – far beyond name, rank and serial number.”
Father Sitzmann is currently the chaplain at Marian Health Center/Mercy Medical Center with residence at St. Boniface Parish of Sioux City.
He served at Cathedral of the Epiphany, Sioux City; Bishop Heelan High School, Sioux City; St. Mary Parish and St. Mary High School, Remsen; St. John the Baptist Parish, Quimby; St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Maple River; Kuemper High School, Carroll; Assumption Parish and St. Thomas Parish, Emmetsburg; and St. Boniface Parish, Sioux City.

25th anniversaries
Father Harry McAlpine is the son of William and Henrietta (Overman) McAlpine. He was born on April 3, 1935.
This native of Sheldon graduated from Sheldon High School and attended the University of Iowa, University of Minnesota and Saint Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minn. He was ordained on May 30, 1987, by Bishop Soens at St. Patrick Church in Sheldon.
Father McAlpine served at St. Cecelia Parish, Algona; St. Joseph Parish, Dedham; Sacred Heart Parish, Sutherland; St. Anthony Parish, Primghar; Sacred Heart Parish, Fort Dodge; Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Fonda; St. Columbkille Parish, Varina; St. John Parish, Onawa and St. Bernard Parish in Blencoe.
“Everyday as a priest has been special with its joys and with its sorrow,” he said. “I love serving the people, particularly through the Mass, the sacraments. The whole experience has been really rewarding.”
He retired in 2005.

Father Dennis Meinen was born to Vincent and Rose (Gallagher) Meinen on Feb. 5, 1951, in Sioux City. He attended St. Michael School before going to Bishop Heelan High School in Sioux City. After high school, Father Meinen went to LaSalle Extension University in Chicago for two years. He then came back to Sioux City to get his bachelor’s degree at Briar Cliff. Sacred Heart School of Theology in Hales Corner, Wis., is where he attended major seminary.
He was ordained by Bishop Lawrence Soens on May 29, 1987, at St. Michael Church in Sioux City.
Father Meinen has served at Blessed Sacrament Parish, Sioux City; Immaculate Conception Parish, Sioux City; St. Boniface Parish, Charter Oak; St. Mary Parish, Ute; St. Columbkille Parish, Churdan; St. Patrick Parish, Cedar Township; and St. Paul Parish, Scranton.
He is currently the chaplain for Holy Spirit Retirement Home in Sioux City. Also, he is a Faithful Friar for the Knights of Columbus with the Garrigan assembly, a Calix chaplain, a chaplain for Scouting, and the diocesan representative for the Special Olympics. He is also a pastoral minister for the Office of Persons with Disabilities.
“The Lord has given me the grace (fire) to be active in his service, despite my disability (gift) and now my challenge is to ask one more grace of him; ask that I may learn of him how to rest quietly in his love. I see my disability as a gift because it allows me to surrender my life to Jesus Christ, like the martyrs who were bravely going into the arena singing hymns of praise,” Father Meinen said.