Seven priests in the Diocese of Davenport are celebrating jubilees in 2021.
60 years
Father Thomas Reilman was ordained June 3, 1961, at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport. He served at St. Ambrose College and Assumption High School in Davenport; St. Boniface Parish in Clinton; St. Mary Parish in Dodgeville; St. Mary Parish in Kingston; Sacred Heart Parish in Lost Nation; St. Mary Parish in Wilton; and was a chaplain at St. Francis Continuation Care and Nursing Home/Orchard City Apartments of St. Francis in Burlington. He retired in 1998.
50 years
Father Robert McAleer was ordained May 27, 1971, at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport.
He served at St. Mary Parish in West Point; Notre Dame High School in Burlington; St. Mary Parish in Augusta; St. Mary Parish in Fort Madison; St. Elizabeth Parish in Harper; St. Mary Parish in Fort Madison; St. Joseph Parish in Fort Madison and the merged Ss. Mary & Joseph Parish in Fort Madison; and St. John Vianney Parish in Bettendorf. He retired in 2014.
Father McAleer has served on the Priests’ Personnel Board, Priests’ Senate, Diocesan Pastoral Council, Priests’ Aid Society, marriage tribunal, school committee, Priests’ Council, St. Ambrose University Board of Trustees, and as chaplain of the Catholic Service Board.
During his retirement, he has traveled across the United States (pre-pandemic) with Unbound, an organization dedicated to families living in poverty.
A reception was held May 29 at St. John Vianney Parish and one is being planned for St. Ambrose University in Davenport Aug. 29.
40 years
• Father James Betzen, C.PP.S., was ordained to the Missionaries of the Precious Bloods on June 26, 1981, in St. Mark, Kansas.
Since his ordination he has served in Linton, North Dakota; San Angelo, Mertzon, Eden, Eola and Millersview, Texas; Kansas City, Sedalia and Bahner, Missouri. He has been pastor at St. Mary of the Visitation Parish in Ottumwa since 2014.
Father Betzen was on the provincial council for the Precious Blood, Kansas City Province. St. Mary of the Visitation Parish will celebrate Father Betzen’s jubilee with a small reception after Masses June 26-27.
• Father Richard Okumu was ordained Aug. 8, 1981, at Sacred Heart Parish in Newton.
He served at Assumption High School in Davenport; St. Patrick Parish in Iowa City; Sacred Heart Parish in Kinross; Holy Trinity Parish in Richmond; St. Joseph Parish in Wellman; St. Peter Parish in Cosgrove; St. Michael Parish in Holbrook; St. Bridget Parish in Victor; St. Patrick Parish in Brooklyn and Church of the Visitation Parish in Camanche. He has been serving at St. Mary Parish in Mechanicsville and St. Mary Parish in Tipton since 2014.
• Father William Reynolds was ordained June 13, 1981, at St. Mary Parish in Oxford.
He served at St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Davenport; completed advanced studies at the University of St. Thomas in Rome; served at Sacred Heart Parish in Lost Nation; St. James Parish in Toronto while also working with the marriage tribunal; Sacred Heart Parish in Oxford Junction; St. Mary Parish in Grinnell; St. Patrick Parish in Brooklyn; St. Bridget Parish in Victor; Sacred Heart Parish in Melcher; St. Anthony Parish in Knoxville; Sacred Heart Parish in Newton and Immaculate Conception Parish in Colfax. He retired in 2020.
Diocesan offices held include pro-synodal judge; judge and defender of the bond of the interdiocesan tribunal of second instance; diocesan religious education commission; priestly vocation board; Presbyteral council; tribunal; Priests’ Aid Society; vocation committee; dean of Grinnell Deanery.
Father Reynolds served as the national secretary of the Apostleship of the Sea of the United States of America from 2006-13 and has served as vice president since 2013.
• Father Greg Steckel was ordained July 12, 1981, at St. Anthony Parish in Davenport.
He served at St. Joseph Parish in Sugar Creek; Mercy Hospital in Davenport; Our Lady of Victory Parish in Davenport; St. Peter Parish in Buffalo; St. Boniface Parish in Farmington; St. Mary Parish in String Prairie; East Moline, Illinois, Correctional Center; St. Peter Parish in Cosgrove; St. Mary Parish in Oxford; University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics; U.S. Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas; Federal prison camp in Yankton, South Dakota; Ss. Mary & Joseph Parish in Fort Madison; Sacred Heart Parish in Fort Madison and the merged Holy Family Parish in Fort Madison; St. Joseph Parish in Montrose; Sacred Heart Parish in Lost Nation; Sacred Heart Parish in Oxford Junction; St. James Parish in Toronto; St. Bernadette Parish in West Branch and St. Joseph Parish in West Liberty. He has been chaplain at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics since 2018.
During a leave of absence, he received training in Clinical Pastoral Education at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines. While ministering at the East Moline Correctional Center, Father Steckel was able to take one day each week to assist Father Dan Manhardt as chaplain at Davenport’s Genesis Hospital. On Sundays during that time he celebrated Sunday Mass and made holy Communion rounds at the hospital in Rock Island, Illinois, (from Franciscan, to United, to Trinity, and now UnityPoint). On Fridays he celebrated Mass at St. Joseph Parish in Rock Island.
25 years
Father Patrick Lumsden was ordained Jan. 21, 1996, at St. Mary Parish in Iowa City.
He has served at Holy Family Parish in Davenport; St. John the Baptist, St. Patrick and St. Paul parishes in Burlington; St. Mary Parish in Dodgeville; St. Mary Parish in West Burlington; then the merged parishes of Ss. John & Paul in Burlington and Ss. Mary & Patrick Parish in West Burlington; St. Joseph Parish in Columbus Junction; St. Mary Parish in Wapello; St. Joseph Parish in North English; St. Joseph Parish in Parnell; St. Patrick Parish in Georgetown; St. Peter Parish in Lovilia; and St. Patrick Parish in Melrose. He retired in 2016.