vPRIESTS continued from page 14 families, and the camaraderie I had with all the nursing staff. We were a great team. I see my priesthood as an extension of what I did as a nurse. It’s all about serving God and neighbor. (Nurses do that every day, too!) I was inspired to become a priest by another priest, Fr. Rudy Roxas, who was the chaplain at the college I went to at the time. He was one the happiest, smartest, funniest, and most compassionate priests I have ever known. His personal example inspired me to look closer at becoming a priest. After working for a couple years as a nurse, I entered seminary to see if it was something I could do the rest of my life. After I went to seminary, it reconfirmed God’s call to serve him as a priest. I kept working as a nurse during the summer months of my seminary years, but I finally had to turn in the stethoscope when I was ordained. I still have my nursing license on inactive status. I have been a priest now for 23 years. It has been a joy to get to know so many people and be a part of so many lives, both in joy and sorrow. Father D’Cruz Nicholas I am from a small town called Kurseong, in the foothills of the Himalayas, about 400 miles north of Kolkata (the city where St. Mother Teresa founded her head quarters) in India. I studied in a Jesuit Catholic school and a Jesuit College in India. I joined the seminary after my high school. I volunteered at the house for the poor elderly managed by Mother Teresa’s nuns in Nepal for six months. Volunteering at the house for the elderly with the sisters of St. Mother Teresa had tremendous influence on me. There I learned how to serve and be present to the elderly. Fr. Gerard Van Wellingham, a Jesuit priest from Canada, used to be my school Principal. He was a counselor, a great educator, a humble person and a man of wisdom and courage. He had a great impact on me and my faith. Following his example I wanted to be a missionary and also have an experience of serving the poor. He helped me in my discernment to join the seminary. Odermann Valerian I was born at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Dickinson, North Dakota. I lived on a ranch in Billings County, where, as they say “learning to drive before walking was the norm” (I am) the oldest of seven. After years of work on the ranch and several years of college, I joined Assumption Abbey in Richardton, North Dakota. I had attended a prep school there run by the monks. I had an early interest in the priesthood also. It seems I grew into a “triple call.” The monastic call became the foundation for all, but the calling to serve in the sacramental ministry of a priest came first, only after contact with the monks did I see myself being a priest in the Benedictine context, and a call to educate — I’ve been involved in educating at one level or another throughout the years — in Bogotá, Colombia, (14 years) at the secondary level and many years at university level in the states. 18vHISVOICEvJANUARY/FEBRUARY 2019 I get the most satisfaction looking back at the early Bogotá years, when the Benedictine community went ahead with a plan to construct a school to serve the local barrio—a social outreach which continues today to educate 100s of youth, giving them a chance to envision a life that was beyond the wildest dreams of their parents. I try to never stop growing; live without regrets. Father Valerian has bachelor’s degrees in Philosophy and Math from St. Martin’s University in Olympia, Washington; a Master of Divinity in Pastoral Ministry from St. Meinrad School of Theology in Indiana; a master’s in Religious Studies from Indiana University in Bloomington, and a doctorate in Education in Instructional Leadership from the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. n vALTMAN continued from page 17 so much water that we cover, that it’s sad to say, but it’s becoming the norm for us.” — — — —2:25 p.m. Altman’s final stop on this afternoon journey is to check another area, this time a Controlled Hunter Access Program (CHAP) spot located between Tabor and Yankton, just north of Highway 50. Initially designated for youth hunting, this particular area has since been open to adults to harvest deer, according to Altman. The location is limited to six hunters per day and capped at 25-30 deer, he adds. “Most people are pretty appreciative of it,” Altman says, as he drives through and looks across the fields. “We have a lot of repeat hunters who sign up, and it’s a first-come, first-serve setup.” From there, it’s back to the office. Although his day is far from over, Altman jokes. No, he still has to head east that night to continue work on a few ongoing investigations.n Hello loyal His Voice readers, I’m sure you’ve all heard the phrase, “All good things must come to an end.” Well the phrase now applies to the His Voice portion of our magazine. This phrase really shares the sense that everything that we have done cannot be undone. No success can be taken away once it has been achieved. So in essence, good things never really end; they perhaps just come to the end. When we added the His Voice portion of the magazine we had high hopes that not only would we be able to find qualified writers to fill the magazine with excellent local content but we also hoped to have strong advertiser support. Since neither of those has come to fruition we have decided to just focus on the Her Voice magazine again starting with the March/April edition and then moving forward. We sincerely apologize as we know you’ve all enjoyed the entire magazine but we hope you will continue to be loyal Her Voice readers as you have in the past. Thank you all and our wishes for a Happy New Year! Micki Schievelbein PS: We know you’ve enjoyed the writing of correspondent Brian Teel in His Voice, but please be assured he will continue to share his talents in Her Voice! Also: Steve and Tracy Huff will continue sharing “His Eats” and Angella and Ryan Byykkonen “Through The Lens” in Her Voice as well!