The end of January saw changes for the three Catholic parishes in northern Nuckolls County and parts of Clay, Webster and Adams counties. Sacred Heart and St. Stephens, Lawrence, and Our Lady of the Assumption in Deweese. The change came about when the then pastor, Father Jamie Hottovy, returned from a six month sabbatical and historical architectural school in Rome.

The Catholic Bishop of Lincoln recognized the need for the skills of Father Hottovy in Seward and St. Gregory The Great Seminary. Father Hottovy stayed a couple of weeks in Lawrence upon his return from Rome and moved on to his new assignment.

Father Denton Morris is the newly appointed pastor for the three parishes. The appointments were effective on Jan. 22. Last Sunday, Bishop Conley came to Deweese to officially install Father Morris as pastor of the three parishes.

The 35-years-old Father Morris was ordained a priest of the Lincoln diocese in 2015. He has had three assignments since his ordination. They were in Lincoln, York and Harvard. At all three locations, he also taught school classes, currently teaching 7th and 8th grades Latin at St. Cecilia in Hastings.

Father Morris is the oldest of three siblings. His father is an Air Force veteran who spent most of his military career in Nebraska, North and South Dakota as a munition and safety specialist for Air Force Bombers. Upon his father's retirement, the family moved to Kearney for employment.

While at Kearney, the whole family converted to the Catholic religion.

The family's conversion to Catholicism was because of the true presence of Christ in the Eucharist and the apostolic succession. Father Morris got to know some of the priests of the Lincoln diocese and upon learning of the culture, decided to enter St. Gregory the Great Seminary in Seward after his high school graduation. He finished his theology studies at Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Maryland.

Father Morris

Father Morris noted that he was excited to start his duties in Lawrence with the recent fire and renovations going on. He noted with a little humor that he's had a little 'hands on' experience with the physical work as his first assignment in Lincoln involved the completion of that parish's building project. And, in York, he was in the position to extinguish a fire in the church there. In addition to his current duties, he is applying to serve as a chaplain in the Army National Guard.