Monsignor Rex Eugene Nicholl: 1936-2026

Amarillo—Monsignor Rex Eugene Nicholl, the senior priest of the Diocese of Amarillo, passed away Feb. 11. He was 89 years old.
 
Mass was celebrated Feb. 16, St. Mary’s Cathedral, Bishop Patrick J. Zurek, with the presence of Daniel Cardinal DiNardo, presiding. Main concelebrants were Father Hector J. Madrigal, pastor, Church of the Holy Spirit, Tulia; Monsignor Joe Bixenman; and, Father John Valdez, pastor, St. Thomas the Apostle Church. Priests of the Diocese of Amarillo were concelebrants and Deacons of the Diocese of Amarillo assisted. Burial was in Llano Cemetery.
 
Rex Eugene Nicholl was born Dec. 3, 1936 in Paris, Tx., the son of Worth Howard and Phyllis Nicholl. The family moved to Amarillo when the future priest was two years old.
After his graduation from Price College in 1955, Nicholl attended St. Edward’s University for two years, majoring in journalism. He transferred to Marquette University, graduating in 1959 with a degree in journalism.
 
Nicholl volunteered for the draft after graduating from Marquette and served a two-year hitch in the U.S. Army. After he was honorably discharged, Nicholl entered Conception Seminary in Conception, Mo., where he studied for the priesthood.
 
On May 19, 1967, Nicholl, along with his brother Larry and fellow seminarian Kenneth Yaroch, were ordained to the priesthood by then-Bishop Lawrence M. DeFalco at St. Laurence Church, Amarillo.
 
After his ordination, Father Nicholl spent the summer of 1967 as a substitute for vacationing priests at parishes in Pep, Morton, Muleshoe and Levelland (all now in the Diocese of Lubbock). In 1968, he received his first permanent assignment, as parochial vicar at St. Laurence Church, Amarillo. Father Nicholl also taught at St. Laurence School and was associate editor of The West Texas Register (now The West Texas Catholic) for a short time.
 
Father Nicholl was transferred to Sacred Heart Church, Plainview, and its mission, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, serving as parochial vicar. He was appointed pastor after the passing of Father Fred Hyland on April 26, 1977, and remained there until 1982, when he was named pastor of Church of the Holy Spirit, Tulia, and its missions, St. Paul the Apostle Church, Kress and Our Lady of Loreto Church, Silverton.
 
While in Tulia, Father Nicholl also established a Catholic community center in Quitaque that eventually became San Juan Diego Church and was a founding member of the Red River Valley Mission Team.
 
On July 1, 1991, Father Nicholl was appointed pastor of Immaculate Conception Church, Perryton, and St. Peter’s Church, Booker. In 1992, he noted the 25^th anniversary of his ordination with Masses at Our Lady of Loreto, Silverton; St. Mary’s Church, Amarillo; Church of the Holy Spirit, Tulia; Sacred Heart Church, Plainview; and, at Immaculate Conception Church, Perryton.
 
During his assignment in Perryton, Father Nicholl was named a Prelate of Honor on Aug. 24, 1999, with the title of Monsignor.
 
In 2000, Monsignor Nicholl was named pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Amarillo, where he remained until Sept. 1, 2009, when he was appointed to his final assignment as pastor at St. Martin de Porres Church.
 
In addition to serving St. Martin de Porres Church, Monsignor Nicholl celebrated Mass weekly at the Ussery-Roan Texas State Veterans Home in Amarillo; visited his fellow veterans weekly at the Thomas Creek VA Hospital; served as Spiritual Advisor for the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, a post he assumed in 2007 following the passing of Monsignor Francis A. Smyer; and, was active with the Father Francis Crowe Council #13134 of the Knights of Columbus and as Faithful Friar for the Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus.
 
In an interview on St. Valentine Catholic Radio (now the Guadalupe Radio Network) in 2017, Monsignor Nicholl was asked what advice he would give a young man who was seeking a calling to the priesthood:
 
“I would tell him to do his very best and trust in God,” he said. “Seek Him first. Form habits or prayer and prayerful reading of Scripture, especially Lectio Divina. I would seek the guidance of priests as mentors and enjoy the company of lay people in your parish and draw strength from them.”
 
According to his family, Monsignor Nicholl was a devoted son, brother, and uncle to his family and was beloved by many. A true Renaissance man, he delighted in playing piano, singing, dancing and watching musicals and other classic movies. Monsignor Nicholl was a skilled athlete in his younger years and a zealous sports fan his whole life—he followed all sports, all teams, seldom missed a bowl game and often had multiple games on at the same time. He also loved history and read widely, and in recent years, he particularly enjoyed cheering on the San Antonio Spurs with his brother Clark, and friendly debates with his brother Larry.
 
Survivors include two brothers, Larry and Clark; a sister, Sandy, and nine nieces and nephews Debye, Rebecca, Colette, Michael, Rachel, Renee, Roxanne and Andrew.