The Catholic Diocese of Colorado Springs, Colo., had a new bishop installed last Tuesday, June 29. Bishop James Golka, 55, formerly of the Diocese of Grand Island in Nebraska was ordained and installed as the third bishop of the Colorado diocese. As of June 1, 2021, there were 161 Diocesan Bishops in the United States.

Bishop Golka's mother, Patty (Ostdiek) Golka, is a Lawrence native and his father, Robert Golka, is north central Nebraska.

A large number of relatives and friends from Nebraska attended the two day event in Colorado Springs. The event began with Vespers on late Monday afternoon. The ordination of Bishop Golka and his installation as bishop was on Tuesday afternoon.

Attending from Lawrence were Allen and Nancy Ostdiek and Brian and Aimee Ostdiek, Parker and Emery; From Superior were: Julene and Rich Sullivan and Lane and Anna Hawley; from Blue Hill, Lee and Joyce Ostdiek. Other uncles and aunts of the new bishop attending were: Glen Ostdiek of Elm Hurst, Illinois; Robert and Janet Ostdiek and Larry and Diane Ostdiek of Gretna, Neb.; Lou Ann Mitton of Thousand Oaks, Calif. Uncles and aunts unable to attend included Linus and Helen Ostdiek of Lincoln; Doris Bradley of Neenah, Wis. and Veronica Ostdiek of Illinois.

The new bishop is a grandson of deceased Lawrence area natives, Hubert and Louise Ostdiek. The Bishop was one of 65 grandchildren of Hubert and Louise and, if the counting was correct, 47 of the first cousins were able to attend the event.