By Shirley Ragsdale
Des Moines Register [Sioux City IA]
January 20, 2006
http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060120/LIFE05/601200354
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| Nickless |
Catholics in northwestern Iowa today end a two-year wait for a new bishop, a Denver man described as young, energetic and accomplished.
R. Walker Nickless , 58, is to be ordained today as the seventh bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux City. He is the first U.S. bishop to be appointed by Pope Benedict XVI and he fills a vacancy open longer than any other bishop's job in the country.
"He's the cream of the crop from the Denver archdiocese," said Monsignor Tom Fryar , archdiocesan vicar for clergy, a post Nickless held for 13 years. "He is a learned man with excellent skills."
Representatives from every parish in the Sioux City diocese and Nickless' friends and family from Denver will crowd into the Church of the Nativity in Sioux City today to witness the new bishop accepting the trappings and responsibilities of leadership in the Roman Catholic Church. The ordination, an invitation-only affair, will begin at 2 p.m.
The ordination is being broadcast live on several television and radio stations throughout the diocese, and there are links to Internet streaming video and audio on www.scdiocese.org.
Interviews with colleagues and friends in Denver paint a portrait of a man whose talents were recognized early in his career, a man who served in several important administrative positions often while maintaining a pastoral presence.
"He excelled here," said Chuck Goldberg , attorney for the Archdiocese of Denver, who has known Nickless for 18 years. "At his core, he is really a humble priest and a humble person. I am confident he will rise to the challenges that will confront him. He is deeply loved and respected here. I'm certain the people of Iowa will come to have a great affection for him."
In two major chancery jobs — vicar general and vicar for clergy and seminarians — Nickless served the people of the Denver archdiocese in a caring and honorable fashion, said Fryar.
In both positions, he was intensely involved in dealing with clergy sexual abuse in the archdiocese, and the new Sioux City bishop said he wants Iowa Catholics to take seriously his motto "Speak the Truth in Love."
"By speaking truth in love, the people can help me grow and understand," Nickless said in an interview with The Des Moines Register. "It is difficult to speak truth sometimes, but it is the right thing. We need never be afraid of the truth."
Those are words many Catholics in the Sioux City diocese have longed to hear as they struggle to handle and heal the pain of the priest sexual abuse scandal in their own diocese.
That pain includes the disappointment and anger of victims and their families at hearing news that retired priest George McFadden, who despite more complaints of child abuse than any other Iowa priest, was not removed from the priesthood by the Vatican.
The diocese also is the only one in Iowa with allegations against a former bishop. Retired Bishop Lawrence Soens has been accused of abusing several teenage boys while he was a priest and Catholic school principal in the Davenport diocese.
As vicar of clergy in the Denver archdiocese, Nickless told the Denver Catholic Register that he "found some extraordinary and heroic priests giving their lives in tremendous ways for the church and the Lord. I also became aware of the weaknesses, failures and disappointments of our priests."
"One of the things I learned was that every allegation of abuse must be taken very seriously," he said.
"It is not easy for the victims to come forth. It is also painful to see my brother priests accused. But we have to face the fact that a few do fall off the track."
Nickless said he believes that the scandal that has rocked the Roman Catholic Church since 2002 has resulted in needed policy changes and that it "purified the church."
"The bishops needed to make a statement about the past abuse," Nickless said. "(The policy) serves as a model for how to deal with sexual misconduct today. We don't sweep it under the rug."
Nickless, who grew up in Denver and spent his entire career in that archdiocese, said he approaches his new role with great excitement and anticipation.
"It was painful to leave Denver, but Iowa is now my home and where I want to be," Nickless said.
When Nickless was growing up, his family owned a meat market in a central Denver neighborhood. Before he became a priest, the bishop-elect put in time working at the family business, Goldberg said.
"He's the oldest of 10 children," said Goldberg. "His parents, R. Walker Nickless and E. Margaret McGovern Nickless , are widely respected, hardworking people."
Nickless, who is proud to state that he is a product of Catholic schools, said he believes the future of the church may hinge on the future of Catholic education.
"Every time I was named a pastor in the archdiocese, I would ask for a parish with a school," he said. "Catholic schools add vitality to a parish. They have an important mission. . . . "
Lisa Taylor of Lakewood, who worked closely with Nickless in her role as principal of Our Lady of Fatima School, said Nickless is already missed by teachers and students.
"I'm so happy for him, but devastated to lose him," Taylor said. "To find a pastor so supportive of the school is a blessing."
Nickless' devotion to Catholic education and the children of the archdiocese extended beyond the borders of his parish, according to Laurie Vieira, executive director of Seeds of Hope Charitable Trust. Nickless was a founding trustee of the organization that raises money to enable inner-city children to attend Catholic elementary schools.
"He has worked hard to improve the lives of the poor in Denver. He gave them a way to break out of the cycle of poverty by having a great education. He will be missed here." Vieira said.
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