Putting his trust in God

Monsignor Donald Lammers celebrated his 50th priestly anniversary with a Mass of Thanksgiving on April 17 in the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Jefferson City.

Throughout his ministry and the years of discernment leading up to it, Lammers became accustomed to letting go, trusting God and allowing himself to be “stretched” in ways he could never imagine.

He grew up in a large Catholic family in rural Cooper County, where his parents, Augustine and Nellie Lammers, worked on a farm.

Lammers wanted to be a farmer like his dad, but his parents encouraged him to pursue something less risky.

“But I was so rebellious,” he said. “I was determined to be a farmer or do something agriculture-related.”

He started thinking about the priesthood two years after high school but was filled with doubts about his ability to lead.

Soon thereafter, he was drafted into the U.S. Army.

“I was scared to death because lots of people were getting killed in Korea,” he said. “But on the other hand, I wouldn’t have to make a decision about this priest thing for a while.”

The topic kept coming up whenever he’d visit with his base chaplain.

One morning, the sergeant in charge of his company announced Lammers would be sent to drill-instructor training.

He had a choice: lead or get trampled by the new recruits.

“I led,” he said. “And since then I have come to realize that God was using that experience to say, ‘You think you’re not a leader, huh? I’ll fix that.’”

Lammers said he didn’t think much about his parents’ opinion of his decision to enter the seminary.

“I guess I knew they were OK with it,” he said. “I figured Mom and Dad were secretly proud. And they were.”

He went to St. John’s Seminary in Kansas City for two years, then continued at Cardinal Glennon College in St. Louis after the Jefferson City diocese was created in 1956.

He took some time off after college before continuing at Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis.

On March 26, 1966, in tiny St. Martin Church at Choteau Springs, Bishop Joseph M. Marling C.PP.S., founding bishop of Jefferson City, ordained Lammers to the Holy Priesthood.

He served in many offices and capacities around the diocese, but Lammers said he was more than a little surprised in 1994 when Bishop Michael Francis McAuliffe appointed him pastor of St. Peter parish in Jefferson City — one of the largest parishes in the diocese.

He would serve there for 16 years, longer than several of his other assignments combined.

“It was a lot of hard work, but it was a very good ride,” he said. “I could see so many people’s lives growing.”

Later on, Lammers agreed to help bring Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP) — a retreat-based program for evangelization and renewal — to St. Peter.

“The people asked for it,” he said. “It met the needs of a lot of people.”

The school board asked Lammers to convene a long-range planning committee for the school. He liked the idea but expanded its reach to the entire parish.

After a year and a half of work, the committee presented him with a comprehensive plan that included $4 million in construction and renovations to the church, rectory and school.

“That scared the wits out of me,” he said. “In no way did I ever see myself as a builder or a fundraiser.”

The scope of the plan grew to about $6 million, including a substantial addition to the school.

People made good on their pledges, and the work got paid for.

While Lammers was recuperating from surgery, parishioners took the initiative to name the newly built gymnasium in his honor.

In 2006, at Bishop John R. Gaydos’ request, Pope Benedict XVI elevated Msgr. Lammers the dignity of “Protonotary Apostolic Supranumerary” — the oldest and most prestigious of the honorary dignities accompanied by the title “Reverend Monsignor” in the Church.

Lammers continued serving at St. Peter parish until he was nearly 78. He then asked the bishop to let him “retire.”

“I told him that my idea of retirement is downsizing,” the priest said.

So Gaydos appointed him pastor of Sacred Heart parish in Eldon.

“I get to continue experiencing fulfillment in priestly ministry, and God blesses me with that,” Lammers said.

Lammers said the two permanent deacons assigned to Sacred Heart are well versed in Scripture, which helps them preach great homilies.

Challenged by their preaching prowess and blessed with more preparation time than he used to have, “I’m probably preaching better than I’ve ever preached in my life,” he said.

He agrees with Pope Francis’ observation that priests are shepherds, and “if the sheep aren’t in the church, you go where they are and you minister where they are and you smell like them.”

Lammers said many of his most fulfilling priesthood experiences happen when he’s with people, away from the rectory — in hospitals, people’s homes or anywhere else he can minister to them one on one.

For his golden jubilee, he asked for prayers of thanksgiving that “the Holy Spirit has figured out a way to make good use of me these past 50 years.”

“Perhaps I’m living proof that ‘God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the ones He calls,’” he said.

Jay Nies of the Catholic Diocese of Jefferson City contributed to this article.