Msgr. O. Charles Schluter |
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 304 East St. in Baraboo, on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020 at 11 a.m. for Msgr. Orra Charles Schluter who died on February 16, 2020 at Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital in Milwaukee at the age of 75.
Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison will celebrate the Holy Mass, with Msgr. Daniel T. Ganshert as homilist. Visitation at St. Joseph Catholic Church will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2020 from 4 to 7 p.m., and on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020 from 9 a.m. until the start of the Holy Mass. Burial will take place at St. Joseph Parish Cemetery, Baraboo. A funeral luncheon will take place in the parish school gymnasium after the Funeral Mass.
Monsignor Schluter was born on February 4, 1945 in Fort Knox, Ky., and is predeceased by his parents, Charles and Frances (Ellison) Schluter, and sister-in-law Patricia.
After attending St. Joseph Parish Catholic Grade School, Baraboo, Wis., Monsignor Schluter attended the public Baraboo High School. He started his collegiate studies at Loras College, Dubuque, Iowa, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History. He studied for a master’s degree in history at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He attended St. Francis Major Seminary, Saint Francis, Wis., earning a Masters in Divinity in Theology. Monsignor Schluter was ordained to the sacred priesthood by Bishop Cletus F. O’Donnell of Madison, on May 26, 1978, at St. Raphael Cathedral, Madison. He received Papal Honors through Investiture as a Prelate of Honor (Monsignor) on May 20, 2005. Monsignor Schluter was a Veteran of the United States Army serving his country from 1968 to 1970.
Monsignor Schluter began serving in the Diocese of Madison as a Parochial Vicar at Our Lady Queen of Peace Parish, Madison, and St. Paul Catholic University Parish, Madison. He then became an instructor at Holy Name Seminary for 10 years before becoming Parochial Administrator of St. Philomena Parish, Belmont, with the missions of St. Michael Parish, Calamine and Immaculate Conception Parish, Truman. Monsignor Schluter then was Pastor of St. St. Barnabas Parish, Mazomanie, with the mission of St. John the Baptist Parish, Mill Creek; St. Mary Parish, Platteville; St. Augustine Parish, Platteville; and St. Peter Parish, Madison, from which he retired from active ministry in 2019. During his years of service to the Diocese of Madison, Msgr. Schluter served as a Chair of the Presbyteral Council; as a member of the Diocesan Golden Jubilee Central Committee; as State Court Chaplain — Catholic Daughters of the Americas; as Diocesan Archivist; and as Director of the Office of Continuing Education for Priests.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the ALS Association Wisconsin Chapter, 3333 North Mayfair Rd., Suite 104, Wauwatosa, WI 53222-2319 or https://www.alsawi.org/donate