MADISON — Msgr. James Bartylla, diocesan administrator, recently announced priest appointments in the Diocese of Madison effective January 28.
Msgr. Charles Schluter, former pastor of St. Peter Parish in Madison, resigned from that assignment due to health reasons.
Fr. Bob Evenson, former parochial administrator at St. Maria Goretti Parish in Madison, is now serving as the parochial administrator for St. Peter in Madison.
Fr. Scott Emerson is now serving as the parochial administrator of St. Maria Goretti. He is also serving as a part-time canonist for the Tribunal of the Diocese of Madison and will remain as the part-time diocesan master of ceremonies.
In an email to diocesan priests, deacons, seminarians, and staff, Monsignor Bartylla said, “Please pray for Monsignor Schluter as he enters retirement with the serious progressing illness of ALS, as well as for Father Evenson and Father Emerson for their sacrifice and generosity in accepting new assignments at this time.
“We are very grateful to Father Evenson and Father Emerson, and extremely grateful for the witness of Monsignor Schluter both in his active priestly years and now most poignantly during his illness that forces retirement from active ministry.
“In my recent visits with Monsignor Schluter, he inspires me with his love of the priesthood and his joyful demeanor amidst his illness.”
Msgr. Charles Schluter
Monsignor Schluter was ordained to the priesthood on May 26, 1978, by Bishop Cletus F. O’Donnell of Madison at St. Raphael Cathedral in Madison.
His first assignments were as associate pastor at Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish in Madison and later at St. Paul University Parish in Madison.
Following those assignments, while also serving as an instructor at Holy Name Seminary in Madison, he served as the administrator for St. Philomena Parish in Belmont with the Mission of St. Michael Parish in Calamine and Immaculate Conception Parish in Truman.
He later served as pastor at St. Barnabas Parish in Mazomanie with the Mission of St. John the Baptist Parish in Mill Creek, St. Mary Parish in Platteville, and St. Augustine Parish in Platteville before being named pastor of St. Peter Parish in 2010.
Other roles Monsignor Schluter held in the diocese included chairman of the Diocesan Presbyteral Council, diocesan archivist, and director of the Office of Continuing Education for Priests.
Fr. Bob Evenson
Father Evenson was ordained to the priesthood on June 29, 1991, by Archbishop Raymond G. Hunthausen of Seattle at the Cathedral of St. James in Seattle, Wash.
Father Evenson was born in Madison and spent much of his childhood in the Janesville area.
During his studies, Archbishop Thomas Murphy of Seattle had ties to his family and asked him to join him out west.
Before returning to the Diocese of Madison, Father Evenson served as a priest in the Archdiocese of Seattle for 26 years.
While there, he served as parochial vicar, pastor, priest assistant, priest administrator, parochial administrator at several parishes, and also served as assistant to the vicar of clergy, and served in hospital ministry.
In 2017, he was named the parochial administrator at St. Maria Goretti Parish in Madison.
Fr. Scott Emerson
Father Emerson was ordained to the priesthood on June 26, 2015, by Bishop Robert C. Morlino of Madison at St. Maria Goretti Church in Madison.
In between continuing his seminary studies at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, Father Emerson served as the parochial vicar at St. Cecilia Parish in Wisconsin Dells.
He was later named the parochial administrator for the parishes of Holy Family in La Valle, St. Patrick in Loreto, and St. Boniface in Lime Ridge.
He later served as parochial vicar at Sacred Heart Parish in Reedsburg.
His most recent assignment had been as priest secretary and master of ceremonies to Bishop Robert C. Morlino of Madison, prior to the bishop’s death in November of 2018, along with part-time canonist for the diocesan Tribunal.