On Monday, Msgr. Ivan Vap was laid to rest following a beautiful celebration of life. Tom Korta, Pius X chief administrative officer, wrote the following to Pius X staff (Read the obit):

“There is much to say about a man who has given nearly seven decades of his life to serving Our Lord, but I think it is fitting to highlight to you, the Pius X family, the incredible contributions he has made to Pius X High School. In many ways he is a model of what Catholic education is all about.

“Just two months after young Ivan Vap was ordained a priest, then-Bishop Kucera launched a campaign to build a new, central Catholic high school in Lincoln to be named after St. Pius X (who was canonized only two days after Father Vap’s ordination). Father Vap was assigned to be the industrial arts and religion teacher. He would use his woodworking skills to serve Pius X High School for many years and in a variety of capacities. He designed and built the first altar that graced the school’s chapel when it first opened its doors. He also built the original wooden bleachers at the football field. There are many other anecdotes of projects Vap was involved in around the school over the following years, building cabinets and bookshelves and maintaining the HVAC system. Fr. Vap is also credited with giving Pius X High School its mascot after watching a powerful fall thunderstorm while driving to a football game. After a short stint away from Pius, Fr. Vap returned to serve as the school’s superintendent for 17 years(!) from 1964-1981.

“Today our school sits on the shoulders of giants such as Msgr. Vap. While he is certainly not the only person to sacrifice so much time, talent and treasure to literally build our school’s foundation, he is the embodiment of what makes Catholic schools so special. With the Eucharist as his source of inspiration, he worked tirelessly to make a Catholic education accessible to thousands of students. His legacy lives on in so many Pius X alumni who continue to love and serve the Lord because they attended a Catholic high school. His legacy lives on in the classrooms and hallways of our school today, including the Monsignor Ivan F. Vap Industrial Arts Center.

“I am sure our Lord greeted Monsignor Ivan Vap with open arms yesterday, and in their embrace He must have said something like “Well done, good and faithful servant…Come, share your master’s joy.”

“May his soul and the souls of all of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.”

God bless,

Tom Korta