Fr. Richard Nieberding, C.PP.S., died unexpectedly on Saturday, July 20, 2019, in the rectory of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, Montezuma, Ohio, where he was the pastor. He was 66.

He was born on January 19, 1953, in Dayton, to Edward and Mary (Jutte) Nieberding. He attended Precious Blood School then entered Brunnerdale, the minor seminary of the Missionaries of the Precious Blood, in Canton, Ohio, in 1967. Ordained on June 28, 1980, Fr. Nieberding was a graduate of Saint Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Ind., and the Catholic Theological Union, Chicago.

His first assignment was to Sts. Peter and Paul Parish in Ottawa, Ohio. In 1985, he became an associate pastor at St. Augustine Parish, Minster, Ohio. 

Fr. Nieberding became the youth program director at the Spiritual Center of Maria Stein in 1990. Working with Br. Bernie Barga, C.PP.S., he organized programs and led retreats and parish missions with a focus on the youth. 

He was appointed chaplain at St. Francis de Sales High School and associate pastor at St. James the Less Parish in Columbus in 1997, becoming pastor of St. James the Less in 1999.

In 2005, he returned to St. Augustine as its pastor, also ministering at St. Joseph Parish in Egypt, Ohio. On June 4, 2019, he became the pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

In his youth, Fr. Nieberding was an accomplished athlete, excelling in baseball and soccer. He was interested in history, the national park system, cycling, stand-up comedy, and sporting events.  He was an avid Ohio State Buckeye fan, cheered loudly for the German National Soccer Team, and was a devoted supporter of the Minster Wildcats.

Throughout his life as a priest, Fr. Nieberding was drawn to youth ministry, even as he oversaw many other aspects of parish life. He planned events for youth that helped them see that they were an important part of the parish. Above all, he was a gifted storyteller, skillfully using humor to illustrate a point. He was named Citizen of the Year in Minster in 2009.

A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at St. Charles Center, Carthagena, Ohio, on Friday, July 26, with Fr. Ken Schnipke, C.PP.S., vice provincial director, presiding. The homilist was Fr. Don Davison, C.PP.S. 

A second Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Saturday, July 27, at St. Augustine with Fr. Ken Schnipke presiding. The homilist was Fr. Gene Schnipke, C.PP.S. Burial followed in the St. Augustine Cemetery.

Story and photo courtesy of Jean Giesige, Communication Director, Cincinnati Province