March 12, 2010
Year for Priests
On the calendar: Praying for priests
By PAUL R. LEINGANG
In conjunction with the Catholic Schools Office, the Message is publishing a calendar during the Year for Priests. Students and staff are committed to praying for a priest each day, and parishioners are invited to participate.
- Father William A. Traylor
- Father Traylor, 59, was ordained April 30, 1976.
He was born in St. Francisville, Ill., near Vincennes. He studied for the priesthood at St. Meinrad Seminary and at Amer-ican College in Louvain, Belgium, where he later returned to serve as pastor of Our Lady of Mercy Church.
His ministry included parish work, liaison to Charismatic Catholics, director of ecumenism and service as clergy personnel director.
He was pastor of St. Joseph and St. Theresa churches in Evansville from 2001 to 2006, and is currently on a leave of absence.
- Father Traylor, 59, was ordained April 30, 1976.
- Monday, March 15 |
Father Bill Wargel
- Father William J. Wargel, 70, is a native of Evansville who studied at St. Meinrad and was ordained May 27, 1965. He taught at Magister Noster High School and Memorial High School, both in Evansville, while also serving in parishes in the area.
He was named pastor of St. Clement Church, Boonville, in 1980; of Holy Redeemer, Evansville, in 1986, and of St. Ferdinand Church, Ferdinand in 1999. He retired from active ministry in 2004.
- Father William J. Wargel, 70, is a native of Evansville who studied at St. Meinrad and was ordained May 27, 1965. He taught at Magister Noster High School and Memorial High School, both in Evansville, while also serving in parishes in the area.
- Tuesday, March 16 |
Father Lowell Will
- Father Lowell C. Will, 67, has been the pastor of St. Clement Church in Boonville, since 2002, and also of St. Rupert Church in Red Brush, since 2004.
He is a native of the St. Joseph, Vanderburgh County, area, who studied at St. Meinrad and Innsbruck, Austria, and was ordained March 2, 1968.
He was assigned to teach at Mater Dei and Memorial high schools in Evansville, and at Washington Catholic High School in Washington, and to serve in area parishes.
He was named pastor of Sacred Heart Church, Vincennes, in 1982; of Sts. Peter and Paul Church, Haubstadt, in 1987; of St. Peter Church, Montgomery, St. Patrick Church, Corning, and St. Michael the Archangel Church, Daviess County, in 1991; of St. Peter, Montgomery and All Saints, Cannelburg in 1997; of St. Mary Church, Wash-ington, in 1998.
- Father Lowell C. Will, 67, has been the pastor of St. Clement Church in Boonville, since 2002, and also of St. Rupert Church in Red Brush, since 2004.
- Wednesday, March 17 |
Father Alex Zenthoefer
- Father Alex J. Zenthoefer, 30, is currently chaplain of Mater Dei and Memorial high schools in Evansville and associate pastor of Holy Rosary Church in Evansville. As of January, he is also diocesan director of vocations, and will be leaving his commitment at Mater Dei at the end of this academic year.
Father Zenthoefer is a native of Evansville, who studied at St. John Vianney Seminary in St. Paul and at St. Meinrad School of Theology, and was ordained June 4, 2005. His first assignment included ministry at St. Joseph and St. Theresa churches in Evansville.
He is also chaplain of the Evansville Fraternity Group of Communion and Liberation.
- Father Alex J. Zenthoefer, 30, is currently chaplain of Mater Dei and Memorial high schools in Evansville and associate pastor of Holy Rosary Church in Evansville. As of January, he is also diocesan director of vocations, and will be leaving his commitment at Mater Dei at the end of this academic year.
- Thursday, March 18 |
Father Ron Zgunda
- Father Ronald S. Zgunda, 58, was ordained May 6, 1977. His early priestly ministry included parish work in Ferdinand and Loogootee, and as director of vocations.
He is a native of Hammond, Ind., who studied at St. Meinrad Seminary and was ordained for the Diocese of Evansiville on May 6, 1977.
He was appointed pastor of St. Peter Church, Linton, in 1986, and pastoral moderator of Holy Name Church, Bloomfield, where Benedictine Sister Mary Terence Knapp was the first pastoral life coordinator in the diocese.
Father Zgunda was named co-pastor of St. Simon Church, Washington, in 1990, then pastor of St. Mary Church, Washington, in 1991. He was pastor of Holy Redeemer Church in Evansville from 1998 until 2006, when he went to his current assignment as pastor of St. Joseph Church in Princeton and Blessed Sacrament Church in Oakland City. He is dean of the Princeton Deanery.
- Father Ronald S. Zgunda, 58, was ordained May 6, 1977. His early priestly ministry included parish work in Ferdinand and Loogootee, and as director of vocations.
- Friday, March 19 |
Father Joe Ziliak
- Father Joseph Ziliak, 73, is an Evansville native who studied at St. Meinrad and Inns-bruck, and was ordained April 7, 1962.
His early positions included vice rector and librarian at Magister Noster Latin School in Evansville, diocesan director of radio and television, vicar for seminarians and editor of the Evansville edition of the Criterion.
He was the founding editor of the Message in 1970 and continued as editor until 1987.
He was administrator of what was then the mission of St. Nicholas, Santa Claus, from 1970 to 1980; pastor of Nativity Church, Evansville, from 1980 to 1987, and then pastor of his current parish, St. John the Baptist Church in Newburgh. He is also dean of the New-burgh Deanery.
- Father Joseph Ziliak, 73, is an Evansville native who studied at St. Meinrad and Inns-bruck, and was ordained April 7, 1962.