Twentieth in a series on the 75th anniversary of the Diocese of Madison
With an enduring love for the priesthood, Bishop George O. Wirz became the second Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Madison in 1978.
Bishop Wirz often said he was in love with the priesthood. When he celebrated his 25th anniversary as a priest in 1977, he told his parishioners at St. Bernard Parish in Madison, where he was the pastor, “The romance of the priesthood has never left me. I’m still in love.”
Where did that love start?
The seeds of his vocation
Bishop Wirz was born on January 17, 1929, in Monroe, Wis., to Otto and Ida Wirz. The seeds for his vocation were planted by his home life and early education. The fact that both he and his sister Josephine (who became Sr. Joan Wirz, a Sister of St. Agnes), entered the priesthood and Religious Life respectively, can be attributed in part to their parents’ example. Prayer and faith were a part of daily life as they grew up.
Bishop Wirz also had a cousin, the late Msgr. Joseph Emmenegger, who was a priest. Bishop Wirz likewise credited his religious training at St. Joseph Parish in Argyle with helping plant the seed of his vocation. He and his sister attended public schools in Argyle and Monroe, so they took religious education classes on Saturday mornings at St. Joseph Parish.
Bishop Wirz told this writer that the most enjoyable part of his religious education as a youth was spent in summer. That’s when the Sinsinawa Dominicans came for a two-week vacation school. “They prepared me for my First Communion and Confirmation,” he said. “It was my only contact with Sisters, and it has left an indelible mark on my life.”
He graduated from Argyle High School and went on to study at St. Francis Seminary in Milwaukee, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1948. The outstanding example of priests he met at St. Francis Seminary also helped his vocation blossom, he said.
He then studied at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., where he received a licentiate in sacred theology.
Experiences after ordination
He was ordained to the priesthood on May 31, 1952, by Bishop William P. O’Connor at St. Raphael Cathedral in Madison.
He spent two years as assistant pastor at St. Bernard Parish in Madison (returning years later as pastor), but then Bishop O’Connor tapped him to work in the chancery as his secretary and later as vice-chancellor and chancellor.
While serving in the chancery, he also taught at Queen of Apostles Seminary in Madison and served as chaplain at the Catholic Information Center on State St. in downtown Madison. This was a storefront place that provided information on the Catholic Church, especially to students at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
A highlight of his time with Bishop O’Connor was the opportunity to attend the Second Vatican Council in 1962. Two years prior to the council, Bishop O’Connor named him a Monsignor. Bishop Wirz agreed with Pope John XXIII on the importance of updating the Catholic Church and embracing ecumenism.
Returning from the council, Bishop Wirz was named rector of the new Holy Name Seminary in Madison, which opened in 1963. He served as rector for 10 years.
He took a sabbatical year of study at Harvard Divinity School before returning to the diocese to serve as pastor of St. Bernard Parish in Madison for 10 years and as pastor of St. Patrick Parish in Madison from 1984 to 1989.
Serving as auxiliary bishop
While he was pastor at St. Bernard Parish, Bishop Wirz was ordained as Auxiliary Bishop on March 9, 1978. He served with Bishop Cletus F. O’Donnell and his successor, Bishop William H. Bullock.
Bishop Wirz served as director of the diocesan Office of Clergy Development for the diocese and was chairman of the committee on the Catechism of the Catholic Church.
As someone with ancestors who were clergymen in the Swiss Reformed Church, Bishop Wirz was especially interested in interfaith dialogue. He co-chaired the local Lutheran/Methodist/Roman Catholic Dialogue from 1975 to 1986 and was a friend of the late Jewish Rabbi Manfred Swarsensky of Madison, among many clergy of other denominations.
Remembered fondly
Bishop Wirz served as administrator of the diocese following the retirement of Bishop O’Donnell in April of 1992 until Bishop Bullock’s appointment in 1993.
Bishop Wirz retired in 2004 and died on November 23, 2010.
He was remembered fondly by many. Fr. Bill Connell, now retired, was a member of the original class at Holy Name Seminary. He said, “Bishop Wirz was such a gracious, caring, and humble man. I feel truly honored to have been able to call him a friend and mentor. He was never embarrassed to share his faith and love of Church, even to those who totally disagreed with him.
“His love of priesthood and priests was always obvious. He was always there to visit the sick, primarily priests, but also friends and family. I will always be grateful when he anointed my dying father at Mercy Hospital in Janesville. We have lost a true model of holiness, graciousness, and love of Church. May he rest in peace.”
Sources: Building Our Future in Faith: Commemorative History of the Catholic Diocese of Madison (1996); archives of the Catholic Herald newspaper.
Mary C. Uhler served on the staff of the Catholic Herald-Diocese of Madison for almost 47 years, the last 34 years as editor. She retired in July of 2020.