Please remember in your prayers Father William Baer, former rector of St. John Vianney seminary from 1999-2010. Baer was also an alumnus of the St. Paul Seminary and a beloved member of the faith community at St. Thomas. In his decade-plus role as rector he started the well-known traditions of Last Chance Mass and the Rector's Bowl.
Fr. William Baer speaks during a mass prior to the procession for the St. Paul Seminary School of Divinity and St. John Vianney 40-hour devotion October 31, 2008.
"He was a gem of a priest and a gem of a person," said St. Paul and Minneapolis Archbishop Emeritus Harry Flynn, who appointed Baer to St. John Vianney. "He was very well liked, very successful, and very successful as a pastor. He had a great sense of humor and a deep faith, deep faith. He was always pleasant to be with; I enjoyed his company very much"
"Fr. Baer was a great rector and touched many lives during his time at SJV, not only those of the seminarians, but throughout the community. He had the gift of engaging with any age group and was known for his amazing homilies," said Mary Frame, administrative assistant at SJV. "I treasured Fr. Baer’s great sense of humor and his ability to light up a room with his smile. He was a pleasure to work with and continuously considerate of his staff."
A funeral Mass was 10 a.m. Jan. 23 at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul. Visitation was 4-8 p.m. Jan. 22, followed by an all-night vigil until 7 a.m. Jan. 23 at Transfiguration. Burial took place in Baltimore. In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to Transfiguration or Little Sisters of the Poor, Baltimore.
Read his obituary online, and a feature in The Catholic Spirit on him here.
