Tower Topics ~ Fall 2003

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Alumnitems

Deaths
Rev. Hugo Backes (C30-32) died July 27. He had been ordained 67 years and was 96 years old, one of Conception Seminary College's oldest alumni.

Lucille Elliott, mother of Rev. Ronald Elliott (C58-62;T55-58), died June 4 in Higginsville, Mo.

Rev. Cornelius Gaul (T45) of Earling, Iowa, died June 22 at University of Nebraska Medical Center.

Elizabeth “Betty” Kopp, mother of James Kopp (C67-69), died July 29 in Kansas City.

Rev. Albert Massman, OSB (C46-49;T50-54), monk of Mt. Michael Abbey, Elkhorn, Neb., and former monk of Conception Abbey, died July 13 in Omaha.

Rev. Thomas H. McCarthy (C38-40) (LTC US Army Retired) died July 2 in San Antonio, Tex.

Hector Mendoza, brother of seminarian Richard Mendoza, was killed in July during an attempted robbery in Venezuela.

Isaias Montoya, brother of Rev. Francisco Montoya (LCC98-99) and Alberto Montoya (LCC00-02), died August 8 in Mexico.

Natalie Robinson, mother of Marc Robinson (C98-99), died June 16 in Mexico, Mo.

Wedding
James T. Ryan (C86-89) and Denise Kay Kraus were married Aug. 16 at St. Luke’s Church in Ogallala, Neb.

Ordinations
Christopher M. Floss (C97-99) was ordained transitional deacon for the Joliet diocese Aug. 10 in Kankakee. He will return to Rome for his final year of studies at the North American College.

Stephen Keusenkothen CMF (C90-94) was ordained priest July 16 as member of the Claretian community in Chicago.

Pastoral Assignments
Cheyenne
Rev. Raymond Moss (C78-80), pastor, St. Joseph parish, Cheyenne.

Rev. Raymond Rodriguez (C86-90), diocesan vocation director, Laramie.

Rev. James Schumacher (PT88-90), pastor, St. Laurence O’Toole parish, Laramie.

Denver
Rev. Joseph T. Cao (PT93-95), administrator, St. Joan of Arc parish, Arvada.
Rev. Rocco Porter (C89-92), pastor, St. Peter parish, Greeley.

Rev. James Spahn (C91-93), pastor, Our Lady of the Valley parish, Windsor; St. Mary parish, Ault.

Rev. David Stahl (PT84-86), pastor, St. Mary parish, Brush; and the Mission of St. John in Stoneham.

Rev. Jeffrey Wilborn (C92-96), assistant vocation director. Also appointed to faculty of St. John Vianney Seminary.

Des Moines
Rev. Anthony Aiello (C61-65), pastor, Holy Trinity parish, Des Moines.

Rev. John Dorton (C62-66), sabbatical study, Menlo Park, Calif.

Rev. Gordon Gittins (C61-64), medical leave.

Rev. Kenneth Gross (C63-67), pastor, St. Mary parish, Red Oak; St. Patrick parish, Imogene.

Rev. Richard Gubbels (C57-61), pastor, St. Elizabeth Seton parish, Carlisle.

Rev. Wayne Gubbels (C63-67), pastor, St. Patrick parish, Audubon; Holy Trinity parish, Exira.

Rev. Raymond Higgins (C86-88), pastor, St. Anthony parish, Des Moines.

Rev. Lawrence Hoffman (C63-67), pastor, St. Theresa parish, Des Moines.

Rev. Daniel Kirby (C85-90), pastor, Holy Family parish, Council Bluffs. Continues as pastor of Queen of Apostles parish in Council Bluffs, and Our Lady of Carter Lake, Carter Lake.

Dodge City
Rev. Reginald Urban (C68-72), pastor of St. Rose and St. Patrick parishes, Great Bend.

Grand Island
Rev. Bernard Berger (C56-60;T60-64), pastor, St. Nicholas parish, Valentine; St. Mary parish, Nenzel.

Rev. Donald Buhrman (C77-81), pastor, St. Agnes Church, Scottsbluff.

Rev. José Chavez (C90-94), assistant vocation director. Continues as associate pastor of St. James parish, Kearney.

Rev. Arthur Faesser (C68-72), pastor, Sacred Heart parish, Sutherland and Our Lady of Guadalupe parish, Hershey. He continues as pastor of Holy Spirit parish, North Platte.

Rev. Joseph Hannappel (C77-80), pastor, St. Therese parish in Ericson. Continues as pastor of St. Michael’s parish, Spalding.

Rev. Robert Karnish (C60-62;T62-66), appointed to the new role
of Servant Minister for the diocese, in addition to his duties as pastor of St. Joseph parish, Kimball.

V. Rev. James O’Kane (C57-61;T61-65), retiring.

Rev. Vincent Parsons (C93-97), associate pastor, Blessed Sacrament parish, Grand Island; Chaplain, Central Catholic Middle-High School, Grand Island.

Rev. John Schlaf (C56-60;T60-64), pastor, St. Patrick parish, Paxton. Continues as pastor of St. Luke’s in Ogalalla.

Jefferson City
Rev. Michael W. Penn (C96-99), newly ordained, associate pastor, Our Lady of Lourdes parish, Columbia.

Rev. Mr. Jeremy Secrist (C96-00), ordained transitional deacon in July, worked at St. Stanislaus parish, Wardsville, Mo.

Rev. Joseph Corel (PT94-96), pastor, Immaculate Conception parish, Loose Creek; St. Louis parish, Bonnots Mills.

Rev. Gregory Meystrik (C82-86), pastor, St. Stanislaus Church, Wardsville.

Rev. Mark Porterfield (C87-90), pastor, St. Margaret of Antioch parish, Osage Bend; St. Thomas the Apostle parish, St. Thomas. Continues to serve on diocesan tribunal.

Joliet
Rev. John Hornicak (PT98-99), newly ordained, associate pastor, St. Joseph parish, Downers Grove.

Kansas City in Kansas
Rev. Earl Dekat (C58-62;T62-66), sacramental minister to St. Patrick parish, Corning, and St. Bede parish, Kelly.

Rev. John Cordes (C97-99), newly ordained, associate pastor, St. Gregory parish, Marysville; Annunciation parish, Frankfort, and St. Elizabeth-St. Monica parish, Blue Rapids.

Rev. Gary Pennings (C95-97), associate pastor, Church of the Ascension, Overland Park. Rev. Pennings will continue to serve as chaplain of St. Thomas Aquinas High School.

Kansas City-St. Joseph
Rev. Joseph Cisetti (PT85-87), pastor, St. Bridget’s parish, Pleasant Hill.

Knoxville
Rev. Dennis Kress (PT93-95), pastor, St. Elizabeth parish, Elizabethtown.

Oklahoma City
Rev. Timothy Luschen (C81-83), pastor, St. Monica parish, Edmond.

Rev. Kevin J. Ratterman (C85-89), pastor, St. Francis parish, Enid.

Rev. Shane I. Tharp (C93-95), pastor, Sacred Heart parish, Alva; St. Cornelius parish, Cherokee; Our Mother of Mercy parish, Waynoka.

Rev. Scott A. Boeckman (PT98-99), newly ordained, associate pastor, Sacred Heart parish, Oklahoma City; chaplain, Mount St. Mary High School.

Omaha
Rev. John Andrews (PT90-92), associate pastor, St. Stephen the Martyr parish, Omaha.

Rev. Stanley Kasun (C81-86), to Christ the King Priory, Schuyler.

Rev. Michael Keating (C89-93), associate pastor, St. Wenceslaus parish, Omaha.

Rev. David Korth (C85-88), pastor, St. Augustine parish, Winnebago; St. Joseph parish, Walthill; Mission of Our Lady of Fatima, Macy.

Rev. Francis Lordemann (C66-68), medical leave.

Rev. James McCluskey (C61-64), pastor, St. Mary parish, Laurel; Mission of St. Anne, Dixon.

Rev. Ralph O’Donnell (C89-93), Diocesan Vocations Director; priest in residence, St. Bridget parish, Omaha.

Rev. Timothy Podraza (C89-93), temporary administrator, St. Mary parish, Bellevue.

Rev. Stan Schmit (C85-89), pastor St. Paul parish, Plainview; St. Mary parish, Osmand. Continues as pastor, St. Andrew parish, Bloomfield.

Rev. Richard Swolek (H51-55;C55-59), senior associate pastor, Mary Our Queen parish, Omaha.

Rev. Mark Tomasiewicz (C83-87), pastor, St. Mary parish, Wayne. Continues as campus ministry chaplain, Wayne State College.

Rt. Rev. Raphael Walsh, OSB (H42-44;C44-49;T49-53) is returning to Mt. Michael Abbey, Elkhorn. Appointed President of Mt. Michael Benedictine High School.

Rev. James Weeke (C51) is retiring.

Salina
Rev. Msgr. James Hake (H48-52; C5256;T56-60), pastor, St. Patrick parish, Lincoln.

Rev. Steven Heina (C74-78), associate pastor, St. Mary’s parish, Salina.

Rev. Galen Long (C62-65), pastor, Sacred Heart Cathedral, Salina.

Rev. Francisco Montoya (LCC98-99), associate pastor, Immaculate Heart of Mary parish, Hays.

Sioux Falls, SD
Rev. Edward Pierce (T70-72), pastor, St. Mary of Mercy parish, Alexandria; St. Martin parish, Emery; Chaplain to Carmelite Sisters, Alexandria.

Rev. John Rasmussen (C61-65;T67-69), sacramental minister,
St. Agnes parish, Sigel; St. Columba parish, Mayfield. Semi-retired.

Springfield-Cape Girardeau
Rev. David Dohogne (C83), pastor, Sacred Heart parish, Dexter; St. Joseph parish, Advance.

Rev. Thomas Kiefer (C73-77), pastor, St. Mary Cathedral, Cape Girardeau.

Rev. Fred Lutz (T69-71), pastor, St. Benedict parish, Doniphon; St. Anne Mission, Grandin.

Rev. Joseph Orthel (C82), parochial administrator St. Mark parish, Houston; St. John the Baptist Mission, Licking; St. Vincent de Paul Mission, Roby.

Rev. Rick Jones (C81-85), one-year sabbatical.

Rev. John (William) Sheley (C64-68;T68-72), medical leave to pursue rehabilitation for deteriorating hearing.

Tulsa
Rev. Stuart Crevcoure (PT95-96), chaplain, St. Philip Neri Newman Center, University of Tulsa. Continues as administrator, Sacred Heart parish, Sapulpa.

Rev. Samuel Perez (LCC 98-99), newly ordained, associate pastor, St. Mary’s parish, Tulsa; chaplain, Bishop Kelly High School.

Wichita
Rev. Eugene W. Grabner (H50-51;C51-55), retiring.

Rev. Michael Klag (C93-95), newly ordained, associate pastor, Church of the Magdalen, Wichita.

Rev. C. Jarrod Lies (C93-97), associate pastor, All Saints parish, Wichita; part-time teacher, Kapaun Mt. Carmel High School, Wichita.

Rev. John Jirak (C97-98), chaplain, Wesley Medical Center, Wichita. He continues as associate pastor, Blessed Sacrament parish.

Rev. Hien Paul Nguyen (C91), chaplain, Via Christi Regional Medical Center. Continues as Chair of Interim Vietnamese Diocesan Pastoral Council. Played active role in developing the diocese’s new pastoral plan for the Vietnamese community in Wichita.

Rev. Scott Cuong Nguyen (C89-93) transferring to the Diocese of Orange, Calif., to be closer to his family.

Rev. Paul Oborny (C56-58;T58-62), appointed chaplain, Harvest House movement for seniors. Continues as pastor, St. Joseph parish, McPherson; St. Bridget parish, Lindsborg.

Rev. Stuart M. Smeltzer (C89-92), pastor, St. Teresa parish, Hutchinson.

VARIA
Judge Stephen C. Clarke (C63-67; T68-69), Black Hawk County District Court Judge, recently elected to one-year term as president of the Iowa Judges Association.

Samuel Cline (C74-78), recently appointed warden for the Ellsworth (Kan.) Correctional Facility. He had worked at the Hutchinson Correctional Facility for 21 years, most recently as deputy warden. He and his family live in Lyons, Kan.

Dr. Eduardo Echeverria, professor of philosophy at CSC from 1996-2003, has accepted a position at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit, Mich.

Rev. Ronald Falotico (C61-65), serving at St. Peter’s in Pleasantville, N.J., a multi-ethnic parish, and is also the diocesan director of Ethnic Ministries. He reports that Rev. Daniel DiNardo (C1961-1962;T1962-1966) is active in the Spanish apostolate and Rev. John Tumosa (C1961-1965; T1965-1969) is pastor of a rural parish in Newfield. He asks prayers for Rev. Sean McArdle (C1961-1963;T1963-1967) who resides at Linwood Convalescent Center.

Dr. John A. Fischer (C49-51) has been retired for seven years from his family practice in Northglenn, Colo., where he worked for 40 years. He recently returned from Iganda, Uganda, in East Africa, where he worked on a Rotary volunteer project for five weeks,
rehabilitating a school building and teacher's college there.

Randall P. Gorges (C99-00) and Andrew E. Heiman (C99-01) were installed into the Ministry of Lector at Mount St. Mary's Seminary, Emmitsburg, Maryland, April 25.

Sister Harriet Holles, BVM, CSC math professor and spiritual director from 1978 to 1982, celebrated her golden jubilee as a Sister of Charity in Dubuque, Iowa. Following her years at CSC Sister Harriet taught at Lewis and Clarke Colleges, Dubuque. Currently she offers spiritual direction in the Dubuque area and to teachers in the archdiocese's lay ministry program.

Richard "Dan" Johnson (C80-84) has been a counselor for 15 years in a Kearney, Nebr. psychiatric hospital for children and adolescents.

Stephen McMillin (C89-93) has been named CEO of Our Lady of the Angels Retirement Home, Joliet, Ill.

Margaret Sokolowski, composition and grammar teacher for CSC's Language, Culture and Church program from 1999-2003, has accepted a position at Avila College in Kansas City, Mo.

Joby Taylor (C87-89), Beth, his wife, and their daughter Isabel are living in Baltimore where he is completing his doctoral dissertation in philosophy.

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