Ralph Nickless was born on May 28, 1947, in
Denver, Colorado, one of ten children born to R. Walker Nickless, Sr. and E. Margaret (McGovern) Nickless. He graduated from
Bishop Machebeuf High School in Denver in 1965. He then attended
St. Thomas Seminary in Denver and the
University of Denver. Nickless eventually went to the
Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.
Priesthood Nickless was ordained a priest by Archbishop
James Casey for the
Archdiocese of Denver on August 4, 1973. Nickless then served as pastor of Our Lady of Fatima Parish in
Lakewood, Colorado and as
vicar general of the archdiocese. He was consecrated on January 20, 2006, at the Church of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Sioux City. Archbishop
Jerome Hanus was the principal consecrator, with Archbishop
Charles Chaput and Bishop
Thomas Tobin as the co-consecrators. In October 2013, it was reported that the diocese had withheld information from parishioners regarding the arrest of Reverend John Wind five years earlier. During that incident, Wind was meeting with a female parishioner at a bakery. While there, he threatened to drop his pants and sexually assault the woman. After she called the police, they found Wind on a street corner half-naked. During his arrest, Wind punched an officer and was subdued with a
taser. Wind later pleaded guilty to misdemeanor
disorderly conduct, was sent away for mental health treatment, and then returned to parish work. His parish was not notified of the incident.
Retirement In May 2022, having reached the mandatory retirement age of 75 for bishops, Nickless submitted his resignation as bishop of Sioux City to
Pope Francis. This resignation was accepted on February 12, 2025. == Viewpoints ==