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Wednesday, March 10, 2010 - Wamego Kansas

8 Wednesday, March 13 2013 Wamego, Kansas

particularly grateful for the parish in Alma, as they have a “good choir, they are a very vibrant parish.” On March 10, the parish held a small reception for him, even though he had to rush off to Paxico. “They loaded me up with good things to eat,” he said.

As it is it is a grueling schedule – with three Masses on some of the weekends, and two on the others.

“I’m grateful I can still do it,” he said, although he admitted sometime a nap is in order in the afternoon.

He also keeps busy tak-ing communion to local shut in residents. It is one of his favorite things to do.

“It is good to know I’m needed,” he said. He speaks with obvious fond-ness, of the people he vis-its. He makes trips in to Manhattan and Westy care home, to bring to commu-nion, and also takes com-munion to people in their homes. His phone is busy as people call to tell him about people need to be visited, to update him on the condition of parishio-ners. He is always kind, making sure people know he is available for last

rights, or whatever might be needed.

Over the years he has served many parishes, as it is common for priests to be moved.

His hobbies include reading and woodworking. He said he finds it relax-ing, and he’s made items such as picture frames, wall rosaries, and projects for use in the rectories.

“For 20 years, I just took vacations,” he recalled. “You come back and you’ve spent a lot of money and you’re exhaust-ed. But then I started tak-ing Pilgrimages, and I came back on a spiritual high.”

His biggest joy has been traveling. He has been to Medjugorie 15 times, and has visited Mexico, Cana-da, Venezuela, Argentina, England, Ireland, Scot-land, Wales, France, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Ger-many, Poland, Russia, Italy, Greece, the Holy Land and Bosnia.

He said the Medjugorie has been a high point for him. “You just know the Blessed Mother is there,” he said. “There is just a spirit there that is up lift-ing.” Medjugorie is a small village in Bosnia-Herze-govina where the Virgin Mary has appeared and given messages to the world.

He recalled one trip to six countries over the space of 21 days, visiting Marian Shrines. It was France, Portugal, Prague, Moscow, Warsaw and Rome. It was difficult he said, because of there were 1,000 people on the trip, which made for difficulty with the logistics of travel-ing.

“I don’t regret having gone, however.”

In 2006, he was accom-panied by his grandniece to look for his family’s German roots when they went to Grossheubach, Bavaria, including search-ing for any Dekats that might be in the area, but not finding any. It was his last trip. He said that these German immigrants in many ways replicated the church from their home country, producing the Pearl of the Prairie, as the Flush Church is known.

When it came time to retire, he decided to return to his home parish of Flush. It was where he was born, the youngest son of a family of nine children in July 5, 1927. He was edu-cated by the nuns who were serving in Flush at that time, and in the sum-mer of 1944 he finished his education and college courses in philosophy and religion. On Sept. 12, 1949 he entered Kenrick

Seminary in St. Louis. He was ordained Feb. 28,1953. He returned to Flush to offerh is First Mass.

Little did he know in July of 2006 he would retire back to the parish of his youth. The rectory was empty, he knew. So, he and his housekeeper, Marianne King, have settled into the rectory, where the home is open – the parish is quilt-ing for the Flush Picnic in the dining room. The home is also where Sunday School is held, and there are offices for the parish secretary as well. He want-ed to be of service to the church he loved, to cele-brate Mass in the beautiful Pearl of the Prairie.

PAULA EBERT, THE SMOKE SIGNALFather Carl Deket greets Lucille Heptig, who is accompa-nied by Shirley Zoeller, at the 60 celebration anniversary celebration.

FATHER DEKATCONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

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