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Feb. 15, 2007
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Parishioners, friends grieve
pastor’s sudden death |
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Fr. Meinholz’s preaching compassion recalled |
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Fr. David Meinholz (File photo from 1997)
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GREENDALE — A funeral Mass was concelebrated Feb. 14 at St. Alphonsus for Fr. David Meinholz, 41, who died suddenly Feb. 8.
After attending Saint Francis Seminary, he was ordained by Archbishop Rembert G. Weakland May 20, 1994.
Fr. Meinholz served as associate pastor at St. Mary, Fond du Lac; St. Mary, Kenosha; St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, New Berlin; St. Francis de Sales, Lake Geneva; St. Sebastian, Milwaukee; and St. Catherine, Milwaukee. He was appointed pastor of St. Alphonsus June 21, 2005.
Fr. Meinholz was scheduled to celebrate a children’s Mass at St. Alphonsus Friday morning. When he did not show up, his parents were contacted. They went to his Franklin condominium and found him dead. A massive heart attack is suspected and an autopsy will be performed.
Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan celebrated Saturday evening Mass on Feb. 10 at the parish to be with St. Alphonsus parishioners. Archbishop Dolan spoke to the standing-room only crowd about Fr. Meinholz during the homily, and said that Fr. Meinholz trusted in the Lord.
Most students at the parish school already knew of Fr. Meinholz’s death when they arrived for classes Monday morning. However, according to principal Bruce Gorzalski, counselors were on campus for students who needed them.
Gorzalski said students are “numb” in response to the pastor’s death. He said Fr. Meinholz came to the school on Thursday.
“He was a very important part of our parish and school,” said Gorzalski. “He was a wonderful man.”
Franciscan Sr. Eileen Kazmierowicz, director of adult and family ministries at St. Alphonsus, said she had worked with Fr. Meinholz throughout his pastorate.
“I would describe him as one who was open, compassionate, a good listener, and one who had a love of the Scriptures,” said Sr. Eileen. “Everyone is grief-stricken by the loss of someone so young and alive.”
Fr. Chuck Schramm, pastor of St. Mary in Hales Corners, met Fr. Meinholz about eight years ago when the two served as pastor and associate pastor at St. Sebastian in Milwaukee. They became friends, met for lunch weekly and talked on the phone almost daily. Fr. Schramm described his friend as a “younger brother in some ways.”
“He was a very generous person, when he entered a room, he was an energetic presence,” said Fr. Schramm. “He liked to lighten things up with humor. As a priest he took preaching seriously. He worked hard at it and prepared well. He was a very animated preacher. Even the teenagers liked his homilies.”
Fr. Jerry Herda served at St. Alphonsus from 1990-1995 before assuming his current role as priest secretary to Archbishop Dolan. Fr. Meinholz and Fr. Herda attended Saint Francis Seminary at the same time. Fr. Herda celebrated a few Masses at St. Alphonsus the weekend of the priest’s death.
“During a tragedy, it’s good to be with family and being that I was (at St. Alphonsus) so long, it was like being with family,” he said.
Fr. Herda said he could tell the parishioners felt great sadness when hearing the news of the death of their priest.
“Fr. Dave was there not even two years, so they were enjoying his presence and to be taken away was heart-wrenching,” he said. “He was kind of an ordinary person who happened to be a priest. He could fit in with the average Joe person.”
Fr. Herda said it is not unusual for the archbishop to celebrate a Mass immediately following the death of the priest.
“He usually tries to go for one Mass, especially in the case of a sudden death like this, to help the community,” said Fr. Herda. Archbishop Dolan’s homily was videotaped on Saturday and played at all Sunday Masses so all parishioners could hear his words of comfort.
Fr. Paul Hartmann, judicial vicar for the archdiocese, was a classmate of Fr. Meinholz.
“During our time in the seminary, we were very close; we had to stick together,” Fr. Hartmann said. “He was very personable. He wanted the best for everyone.”
St. Alphonsus currently has an associate pastor, Fr. Walter Vogel.
Fr. Herda said the archdiocese has a procedure in place for unexpected deaths of priests.
“The procedure is that a temporary administrator is named,” he said. “The priest placement board is just getting together now. A new pastor would probably be named in June.” |
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