Sparta Father and followers celebrate new citizenship with song

Sparta - Father Albert has no problem raising his voice to the heavens; he does it every Sunday at the Blessed Kateri Parish in Sparta. But on July 21, Father Albert sang a different tune to a slightly different crowd, and for the first time in his life, he did it as a United States citizen. The Reverend Albert Nix, pastor of Blessed Kateri Parish in Sparta, certainly has something to sing about. Originally from Meelick, County Clare, Ireland, Father Albert received United States citizenship on May 4. And what better way for the Irish tenor to celebrate his citizenship than to sing the American national anthem at one of America’s favorite pastimes - a baseball game. Barbara Stote, a Blessed Kateri parishioner and Sparta resident, recently noticed a Skyhawks advertisement for auditions to sing the American national anthem at their stadium. “When I asked Father Albert about doing it, he was so enthusiastic. With his beautiful voice, and him just becoming a citizen, singing the National Anthem at a ballfield on fireworks night was just the perfect setting,” said Stote. “I thought of him immediately.” The parish began building community awareness of Father Albert’s July 21 debut, dubbing it “Blessed Kateri’s Night at the Ballpark,” and easily sold 200 tickets to the ball game. According to Lundgren, demand for the first one hundred tickets was so great, they requested another hundred, which were also quickly sold out. Parishioners of Blessed Kateri were supportive of Father Albert’s attaining citizenship, and say they support others like him who want to take the step to become United States citizens. “With all the studying and hard work involved in becoming a citizen, it shows Father Albert’s true commitment to our country and to our church,” said Anne Lundgren, pastoral associate of Blessed Kateri. “The fact that Father Albert has become a United States citizen is fantastic. Seeking citizenship requires a passion to fulfill a dream, and it takes time and dedication. His action brings to light all of the efforts he went through to become a citizen and embodies the dream that so many of the immigrants in this country, and, in our own community, desire. Our hope is that the opportunity to gain citizenship will be available to all those who seek it with the same passion as Father Albert,” said Pamela Madzym, parishioner and coordinator of Blessed Kateri’s Migrant Ministry. Father Albert began his public ministry in the Roman Catholic Church in 1973 as a curate in Bruff, County Limerick. Four years later, his deep dedication to his faith led him to Chip, Nigeria, where he served as a pastor until 1981. Always curious about what priestly ministry might be like in the United States, Father Albert realized his dream in 1993 and relocated to the Diocese of Paterson at St. Vincent De Paul Church, Stirling, New Jersey. He made Sussex County his home in 2003, when he was appointed pastor of Blessed Kateri Parish in Sparta. Father Tom Fallone, Parochial Vicar and Skipper of the Blessed Kateri Knights, was also on hand at the Skyhawks’ July 21 game and threw the game ball. The game was followed by a fireworks display. Although they were not part of Father Albert’s citizenship ceremony, it was a heavenly celebration for him and his friends.