May 29, 2019 I met Father William G. Muench at the first event I attended after starting my employment with the diocese. I was seated at a table with Father Bill. When the first speaker was introduced by the event emcee, Father Bill turned to me, smiled and whispered, “get ready to be here for a while.” I instantly knew I would like this man. The last time I saw Father Bill, just a couple of weeks ago at an event in Watertown, I took the opportunity to joke with him about our shared space on this page. “I know your column is called, ‘Father Bill says,’” I noted. “Sometimes, based on how little space you leave me, I think it’s short for ‘Father Bill says a lot.” And Father Bill does say a lot. In his writing, Father Bill says a lot about the beauty of our faith and the beauty of the Gospels. Father Bill says a lot about our call to love one another and how we can live that call in our day-to-day lives. Father Bill says a lot about the changes he’s seen in the Church, the diocese and in himself. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve read his column and thought some sentence, some idea was exactly what I needed to hear in the moment. Father Bill says a lot. Father Bill was one of the priests honored at the May 22 Jubilee Mass. He has been blessing the diocese with his priestly ministry for 60 years. He’s been blessing the North Country Catholic with his column for nearly seven years. He’s been blessing me with his work, his dedication to this newspaper, his kind words and his ever-joyful nature for a year. Father Bill loves the Lord and the Church, and the joy that results from that love is evident to all who encounter him. Congratulations on 60 years, Father Bill. Keep saying a lot, because to all of us who are blessed to benefit from your reflections and insights, as well as your priestly ministry, it means a lot. |
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