 It
is with deep sadness and an exalted spirit that we announce
Fr. William F. Pauly, S.J., passed away on Wednesday, November
29, 2006. He died suddenly, and peacefully, of a heart attack at the age
of
59.
Father Bill Pauly was raised in Port Washington, Wisconsin,
the son of Margaret C. Pauly and the late Attorney Erwin N.
Pauly. Recognizing his calling
early in life, he attended high school at St. Lawrence Seminary in Mt.
Calvary, Wisconsin before entering the Society of Jesus at
St. Bonifacius, Minnesota
in 1965. After studies in St. Louis, Bill did his regency at Creighton
Prep, with theological studies at Regis College in Toronto
and Marquette University
in Milwaukee.
After his ordination June 15, 1979, Bill worked in Campus
Ministry at Marquette and served as Director of the Upward
Bound Program. From 1982
until 1988 he served as pastor of St. Patrick's Church on Milwaukee's south
side. In 1989, Bill began his pastoral ministry on the Pine Ridge Reservation,
an Oglala Sioux Native American reservation located in South Dakota. He
served as pastor at Sacred Heart Church in Pine Ridge and as
pastor in the Manderson,
Porcupine and Wounded Knee Districts. Bill also served as superior of the
Jesuit community as well as pastoral coordinator on the reservation.
Bill was a deeply
compassionate man, whose gentle, altruistic, and prayerful manner impacted
the hearts and souls of everyone he touched. His smile, warmth and ready
laughter were genuine reflections of his ability to see
Christ in all he encountered
and allowed others to see the face of Christ in him. Bill had a tremendous
impact on the individuals and communities he served. As a sign of great
esteem and affection by the people of Pine Ridge,
Bill was
given the Lakota name
of Wacin Yanpi, roughly meaning "depends on him". They knew Bill would
always be with them as a loving presence of Christ and the Church. They also
knew that Bill in turn "depends on Christ" to do all that he did
in his life.
There will be a visitation on Monday, December 4 at St. Patrick's
Church, 723 W. Washington St. in Milwaukee starting at 4:00 PM until
the Mass of Christian Burial at 7:00 PM. Bill will then be
returned to Pine Ridge,
South
Dakota where there will be a traditional wake service in the Red Cloud
Indian School Field House on Wednesday evening, December 6th
followed by the Mass
of Christian Burial at 10:00 AM on Thursday, December 7. Burial will
be in the Jesuit section of Holy Rosary Cemetery in Pine Ridge.
Fr. William F.
Pauly, S.J. is survived by his Jesuit family and his mother, Margaret
C. Pauly, his
two brothers, Jim (Mary Jo) Pauly and Tom (Marta) Pauly, and his
two sisters, Mary Lacy and Martha (William) Banning. He is
also
survived by many cousins,
nieces, nephews and countless friends. Memorials in Bill's name can
be made to Red Cloud Indian School, c/o Fr. Peter J. Klink,
S.J., 100 Mission Dr.,
Pine Ridge, SD 57770-2100, to establish a fund in honor of Fr. William
F. Pauly, S.J. We have been forever touched by his presence,
spirit and love.
Our beloved
Bill will always be with us.
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