Dcn. Richard Niggemann (left) received a Citizen’s Certificate of Merit from Waukesha County Sheriff Eric Severson at his office’s annual awards event March 27. (Photo by Tyler Hummel)
An Elm Grove deacon’s meritorious work in jail ministry earned him special recognition after decades of changing lives through his volunteer service.
Dcn. Richard “Dick” Niggemann of St. Mary’s Visitation has served a unique and powerful ministry with the Waukesha County Jail since 1997. For nearly 28 years, he has served as a chaplain with unique privileges to enter generally restricted parts of the jail and serve inmates in crisis.
March 31 was his final day volunteering with the department, as he feels called to hospice ministry with Aurora Zilber Family Hospice in Wauwatosa.
Four days earlier, hundreds of officers and civilians crowded into the ballroom of the Ingleside Hotel in Pewaukee to honor several dozen individuals and units for their meritorious service to the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Office.
Dcn. Niggemann, who is well known in his ministry as “Deacon Dick,” was awarded a Citizen’s Certificate of Merit in recognition of his service.
“Dea Dick has provided jail ministry to the inmate population since 1997,” said Sheriff’s Office Deputy Inspector Patrick Esser. “He’s served in the capacity of a professional religious visitor but also provides additional religious services to a select group of the inmate population. He worked closely with jail classification to identify inmates who would benefit from his services.”
“Through his ministry, he has identified inmates in crisis and has been able to bring this to the attention of jail staff while maintaining confidentiality with the inmates. Furthermore, he served as an excellent resource for jail staff, offering encouraging words and support when needed. His dedication and compassion are appreciated and commendable,” Esser said.
Dcn. Niggemann, who was ordained in 2000, began his jail ministry as part of his deacon formation.
He said he was “surprised and humbled” by the award, and noted that the Gospel for March 30, the Sunday that followed the award ceremony, included the parable of the Prodigal Son.
“You do what you do, and you’re not doing it for any reason. I can’t believe it’s been this long. I don’t know how the time went past. It’s interesting that this is the weekend when we celebrate the prodigal son. My feeling is that jails are filled with prodigal sons and daughters, and it was my job to let them know that they can return to the Heavenly Father’s great redemption.”
Dcn. Jim Matthias described Dcn. Niggemann as a local legend in the Waukesha Sheriff’s Office and jail, and said he has been a major inspiration for inmates, staff, and fellow chaplains alike. He has a unique ability to connect with inmates and help them through their crises, which gradually earned him the trust of the office and allowed him to step into and assist challenging situations, Dcn. Matthias said.
“Everybody knows him,” said Fr. Thomas Suriano, who also visits the jail. “The deputies, staff, volunteers and virtually all the inmates know him. Everybody knows Dcn. Dick. It’s a tribute to his effectiveness. He’s dealt with thousands of people. People talked about him years later.”
He’s proved to be a valuable voice of guidance for officers, who hold him in high esteem, said Deputy Jail Administrator Tracy Lewandowski.
Lewandowski, who has worked with Dcn. Niggemann for nearly 27 years, said the two of them had a running joke about who was going to retire first, but she didn’t know he planned to retire from his jail ministry when she nominated him for the award.
She said he’s become such a fixture that his departure will be a loss to the department.
“When he met with me to announce his official departure date, he gifted me his Bible he’s been using in this jail for two and a half decades,” Lewandowski said. “It sits on my desk as a reminder of what we had and what we’ll be losing when he leaves.”
Dcn. Matthias recalled first joining prison ministry more than a decade ago. When Dcn. Niggemann introduced him to the job, he vetted Dcn. Matthias for the challenges and conversations he was going to have leading Bible studies and conversations with inmates.
“He guided me and told me what to expect,” he said. “We had to go in without judgment, they’re our brothers and sisters in Christ who have made mistakes, but they just happened to end up behind bars. We need to bring the gospel of life to them.”
“He’s very deserving of the award,” Dcn. Matthias said. “It’s hard to watch him walk away. What he’s been doing has been valuable, serving so many of our brothers and sisters in Waukesha.”
Dcn. Niggemann’s work has not gone unnoticed by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. In 2014, he received the Archbishop’s Vatican II Award for Service in Society.
As they already do, other deacons will continue to visit the Waukesha jail inmates.
Dcn. Niggemann’s shift toward hospice ministry marks the closing of one door and the opening of yet another. However, he is thankful for the blessings of his work and is ready for this next chapter.
He specifically thanked his wife, Kelly, for her incredible support of his work.
