Hello! I want to use the bulletin to introduce myself to you as your new pastor. My beginning remark is to thank Father Marneni for his pastoral leadership with you these past three years, and to thank my predecessors who have served all of you. May God bless these priests and their vocation as they have been among you.
I was ordained a priest in 1996 by Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz. I love being a priest, and I am so thankful to the Lord for calling me. It took me a while to hear Him because in high school and college, being a priest was far from my mind.
My parents are Kenneth and Dorothy Grell. They still live on our family farm in Gage County, almost equidistant between Beatrice and Blue Springs. My older sister, Mary, lives in Lincoln with her husband, Bob Huggenberger, and son, William. My younger brother, Mark, also lives in Lincoln and is single.
Mary, Mark, and I attended St. Joseph Catholic School in Beatrice through 6
th grade and then attended Wymore Southern for junior high and high school. All three of us went to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
I was an Agronomy major at UN-L, receiving my bachelor degree in 1991. I loved the coursework and atmosphere of East Campus in Lincoln. My plans were either to continue our family farm with my dad or to work in the agriculture industry. But then God called me and the seminary and priesthood were placed on my radar while farming was placed off to the side. I told the Lord I would give seminary a try, one year at a time.
One year stretched to five years in seminary. I loved it! I knew I was called to be a priest, and that certainty was a true grace. While my dad would have liked for me to farm with him, he and Mother are so happy to have a priest-son. My siblings, meanwhile, keep me humble and help me remember that I am just me—their (at times bothersome) brother!
My journey in the priesthood has taken me to a number of diverse and beautiful parishes and schools. From the Newman Center in Lincoln and North American Martyrs, I taught at Pius X High School. I was named pastor of Assumption in Dwight and St. Wenceslaus in Bee in 1999 and taught religion at Aquinas/St. Mary School in David City. From there, I was sent to Lawrence and Deweese. Lawrence has two parishes, Sacred Heart in town and St. Stephen’s 2.5 miles south of town. Our Lady of Assumption is the parish in Deweese, including the towns of Fairfield and Edgar in its parish boundaries. At Lawrence, I was in charge of Sacred Heart School, which recently closed.
Plattsmouth has been my home from 2013 until now. I was pastor of Church of the Holy Spirit and in charge of St. John the Baptist School, which includes pre-K through 8
th grade.
When Bishop Conley called me to come here, I was neither expecting nor wanting to change assignments. I accepted his Excellency’s appointment in the spirit of obedience which we priests promise on the day of ordination. I know I will totally enjoy and love being with you in these parishes, but you assuredly understand that it is hard physically and emotionally to move. Priests are people, too, and for most all of you reading this, you have had to move in your lifetimes and know how hard it can be.
So, here I am. Let’s love Jesus Christ together! This journey through life is short, but beautiful. I thank God for the gift of life He has given me, and I thank Him for providing me these fine central Nebraska parishes to shepherd. Together, shepherd and sheep, we will learn and love Jesus.