Anthony Sibbel of Roselle accepted as a seminarian of Diocese of Sioux City

May 31, 2024

By RENEE WEBB
Content and Design Coordinator
Raised on a farm south of Roselle, a new seminarian for the Diocese of Sioux City said faith and attending Mass were priorities for his family.
Anthony Sibbel, the son of Scott and Martha Sibbel, attended Kuemper Catholic School in Carroll from preschool through graduation in 2022. He is a member of St. John Paul II Parish in Carroll where he lectors and is an altar server regularly for daily Mass. Prior to the parish merger, he originally was a member of Roselle Holy Angels Parish. He has one sister.
“Growing up, at least for a while, priesthood didn't really resonate with me. The first time I encountered priests that did resonate with me was around later middle school going into high school, then especially in high school,” he recalled.
Sibbel recalled a real desire to become a priest began to enter his heart when he was 16 years old, in the middle of the 2020 pandemic.
“I believe God has been at work on me my whole life, even when I didn't realize it, my vocation being not all, but definitely a part of his movements,” said the seminarian. “Looking back, I think the big movements were especially during COVID, when I had great witnesses of spiritual fatherhood around me like Father Patick Behm, Father Kevin Richter and Father Brian Feller.”
In addition, he was seeking out various homilies and talks posted online.
“When you combine those great witnesses to Jesus, and my eyes being opened to all the chaos going on in the world at the time, but for the first time seeing it through the eyes of faith, I think it was the Holy Spirit's work within me, it felt like it made me come truly alive,” said Sibbel.
The seminarian believes that while there were a few profound, bigger moments when he knew God was calling him to the priesthood, “there have been far more little, gentle movements in there too and without those, I don’t think I could’ve ever gotten to those big moments and vice versa.”
It was the summer of 2021, after his junior year of high school, while on the Quest trip offered by the Office of Vocations that he spoke to then vocations director Father Shane Deman about the priesthood. At the time, Sibbel was feeling called to priesthood in a religious community rather than a diocese.
“The second time I really took the plunge was January of 2024. This time I had a real conviction in my heart for my home diocese, Sioux City,” explained Sibbel, who noted he knew the current director of vocations, Father Travis Crotty, and had been in contact here and there. “The first time I think there was maybe some sensationalism with just recently being reinvigorated in my faith, but I was genuine in my own journey.”
With the second and more recent inquiry, the seminarian noted while he still has plenty to learn, he said he is more weathered and experienced in his faith.
“Our Lord Jesus has been taking me on a journey to face a lot of things I've been running from and avoiding, and by his grace I'd say we're progressing,” said Sibbel.
While the number of inspirations to the faith have been numerous, the seminarian cited his parents as well as a few Catholic “celebrities” such as Venerable Fulton Sheen, Father Mike Schmitz, Sister Miriam James Heidland, Chris Stefanick and the main one is Jim Caviezel.
Hearing the stories of saints' lives such as St. Maxamillian Kolbe, St. Paul, St. Mary Magdalene, Blessed Miguel Pro, Father Emil Kapaun as well as his patron, St. Hubert, has touched his heart.
Noting it may sound a bit cliché, his favorite devotions are the rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet. The seminarian said not only does he truly like these devotions but they have helped him go deeper in his prayer life.
This summer Sibbel, along with the other seminarians, will help lead vacation Bible school programs and camps in the diocese along with participating in the Quest trip and Qua Vadis offered by the Office of Vocations.
He will attend the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Winona, Minnesota.
“I am excited for the whole thing, but especially the community aspect of it, the brotherhood and friendships hopefully ahead. Also, there’s always more to learn,” said Sibbel, who stressed that he has been very blessed with a great family that helped him receive a good foundation in his faith.
As a sidenote, he mentioned the seminary is on the campus of St. Mary’s University, which is the same college his mother attended 20 years for part of her law school studies.
“My parents lived in Winona for a few years after they got married for my mom’s law school and she was still a student when she and my dad found out they were pregnant with me,” said Sibbel. “A bit of a full-circle moment.”