On May 7, members of the Prince of Peace Parish community in Great Bend conducted their fifth annual "Priest and Religious Appreciation Event."

The event was started approximately five years ago by a few members of the community. The first event was a small pot luck dinner, which provided opportunity for fellowship with, and appreciation towards, the priests who were serving the Great Bend churches.

Father Angel Dy recalled during his comments at this year’s event that he was the pastor at St. Rose Church when the first appreciation potluck was held. Over the years, the program has grown and the last two years have recruited the attendance of dozens of priests and sisters throughout the Dodge City diocese, as well as more than 150 Great Bend community members who joined to share their support and appreciation to our priests and sisters.

Ten priests and 20 sisters attended the 2007 Appreciation Event, and each were invited by event master of ceremonies, Darrell Bieker (also known as Scott Donavan, local radio DJ) – the father of this year’s Diocesan KofC Family of the Year -- to make public comments about their time spent in the Great Bend Community, at St. Rose or St. Patrick’s Church, and/or at St. Rose or Holy Family Catholic Schools.

Several of the sisters in attendance recalled with joy the time that they had spent teaching in the Great Bend Community. Retired pastor, Father Dermot Tighe, provided humorous stories about his time spent at St. Patrick’s; Reverend Gilbert P. Herrman introduced himself as the oldest priest still living within the Dodge City Diocese; and Prince of Peace Pastor, Father Reginald Urban, made a presentation. The comments of each priest and sister were met with heartfelt applause from the approximately 150 community members in attendance.

The event was concluded with each priest and sister being escorted to the front of the gathering by children and adolescents who were in attendance.

Before departing from their special guest, each child was presented a bookmark that was inscribed with a biblical passage from Ephesians that calls us to devote our efforts in doing God’s work. The bookmark further proposed the question: "Are mine the hands of a priest or sister?" When encouraged to show, by applause, support for any of these young people to pursue the call to Religious life, the entire attendance rose for a loud, lively and standing applause.

Each priest and sister was then presented with a small gift – a token of the community’s appreciation for all that these men and women of God do for our Church, family, community and for our world.