Recently at Mass, there was a couple and their toddler son in front of me. The toddler was well-behaved, but during the Eucharistic Prayers, I noticed that he was on the move. He wanted to be beside his dad and kneel just like him. He folded his hands together, just like his dad. And then it hit me – this is a young child following the example of faith his parents are setting for him.
We have all seen examples of our faith, inside and outside of the walls of a church. But for many of us, that first example of faith that we experienced was from our parents. One example of that here in our diocese is the family of Mae and the late Art Wilkens of Stockton, Kansas. Art passed away on July 7, 2023, at the age of 87, leaving a lasting legacy of Catholic faith that will shape generations within our diocese. This legacy extends beyond financial contributions to his local Catholic school, parish, and seminarians, encompassing the countless ways he exemplified the importance of his Catholic faith in his daily life.
When Art and Mae began dating, Mae was Lutheran. Art had made it known to Mae early on in their relationship that his Catholic faith was something that he would never leave. In typical big-brother fashion, some of Mae’s older brothers were a little unsure about this Catholic man whom their sister had fallen in love with. Love and faith held firm as Mae joined Art in his Catholic faith. They were married at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Benkelman, Nebraska, and celebrated nearly 67 years of marriage.
During those nearly 67 years, Art and Mae would have many moments where their faith would be tested. Mae had 10 pregnancies, 3 of those resulting in miscarriages. In 1981, less than a year after being married, their daughter Debra and her husband Russell were killed in a fire.
While raising their children, Art and Mae set that example of their Catholic faith – both inside and outside the walls of their parish. Art climbed the ranks in the Knights of Columbus. Mae was active in music ministry, playing the piano, and in the altar society. No matter what their financial situation was at the time, there was never a time when Art didn’t put an envelope in the offertory. He truly understood that everything we have is because of God, and we need to put God first in our lives.
When the family traveled and it was a weekend, the first thing Art would do when they got somewhere was pull out the telephone book and look up mass times. Mae lovingly referred to Art as “fussy” when it came to his diligence in attending mass, regardless of where the family was. Their children saw it as “non-negotiable”.
Art and Mae always had strong relationships with priests in their community. The family would come home from the grocery store, a car in the driveway. Upon entering their home, they would find shoes by the front door and their priest taking a nap on the couch. Priests would play guitar with Art and Mae’s sons Chuck and Kent. Growing up, they viewed their priest as just part of the fabric of their family.
One of the generous gifts bestowed upon the diocese after Art’s passing was a gift to the seminarian fund. Two of Art and Mae’s grandsons are currently seminarians for the Diocese of Salina – Kade Megaffin and Max Megaffin. When he was told about Kade entering the seminary, his first concern was the financial burden this might place on his daughter Lisa, and her husband Brad. Art would say “We have got to have more priests” as he firmly understood the important role priests have in our lives. Art would share the stories of his ancestors – having to travel hours by covered wagon on Sunday to attend mass and how blessed we are to have priests that are by our side – from birth to death. Fr. Merlin Kieffer baptized Lisa and later performed the funeral mass for Debra, illustrating how priests stand by us in both joyous and sorrowful moments.
Additionally, Art left generous gifts to his parish – St. Thomas More in Stockton and Sacred Heart School in Plainville. In 1995, Art and Mae moved to Stockton where they built a new plant for Wilkens Manufacturing south of town. They remained in Rooks County for the remainder of their marriage. Art believed that everyone needed to help support our Catholic schools – including Sacred Heart in Plainville. He was a staunch supporter of their annual auction. Lisa recalls her dad having her brothers Steve and Tony bid against each other for one of the items at the auction – chili supper for Super Bowl with Fr. Al Brungardt.
Art and Mae have also been loyal supporters of TMP-Marian in Hays. The oldest three children graduated from Goodland High School, while Steve, Tony, and Brenda graduated from TMP-Marian. The decision to send the youngest three to a Catholic school helped influence Art’s siblings to seek out Catholic education for their kids. This is yet another example of the ripple effect of Art’s Catholic legacy.
In his final days, Art appeared to be accepting, even eager, for his passing. He understood the profound impact his gifts would have on many lives and took comfort in knowing this would be his enduring legacy – his faith. Following his passing, Art’s family informed the diocese, parish, and school of his gifts and their desire for the use of the gifts. Witnessing the tangible results of his generosity was deeply meaningful to them, reflecting the pride Art himself felt in the impact of his contributions.
There is a line in Art’s obituary that says it best – his commitment to his faith, and love and service to his family, friends, and community knew no bounds.