Fr. Willie Van De Loo looks back on 70 years of priesthood
By Jeff Kurowski | For On Mission
ALLOUEZ — When asked about his 70-year anniversary as a priest, Fr. Willard “Willie” Van De Loo’s response is likely what comes to mind to most people about the milestone.
“That’s a long time,” he said with a wry smile. “It’s hard to believe.”
Fr. Van De Loo was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Green Bay by Bishop Stanislaus Bona on June 4, 1955, at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral in Green Bay.
Parish ministry, teaching, administration, retreat leadership and chaplaincy have been among the ministries in Fr. Van De Loo’s seven decades of priesthood. Looking back, he “stumbled into” all of them, he said with a laugh.
He credits his priestly vocation to the strong faith of his parents. He was born on June 24, 1930, in Hollandtown, the eldest of nine children of Edward and Marjorie (Carney) Van De Loo. Prayer, including the Rosary every day and Mass were important parts of life growing up on the small family farm.
“What stands out is every morning it was cold in the kitchen, so my dad would light some papers to make a fire,” Fr. Van De Loo said. “He would be down on his knees praying. I always wondered about what he was praying about.”
Fr. Van De Loo said that he didn’t think about the priesthood until the seed was planted on his final day of sixth grade at St. Francis School in Hollandtown. His teacher, Sr. Joseph Clare, a Franciscan Sister of Christian Charity, said that he should consider becoming a priest.
“That was one of those moments where just a few fleeting seconds can change your life,” he said.
He attended St. Francis High School in Hollandtown for two years and his final two years at St. John High School in Little Chute. Seminary was a consideration following graduation, but he decided to attend St. Norbert College in De Pere, so he could remain close to home to help on the farm.
“I was (at St. Norbert) for two years,” Fr. Van De Loo said. “The Norbertines asked me to teach. I didn’t want to teach.”
He then studied philosophy and theology at St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, in formation for the priesthood.
Following ordination, Fr. Van De Loo was appointed assistant pastor (parochial vicar) at St. Mary Parish, De Pere.
He said that he was very reluctant about his next appointment. In 1957, he joined the faculty at Sacred Heart Seminary in Oneida. He taught world history and served as dean of the college students.
“I remember that first day in the classroom,” Fr. Van De Loo said. “It’s eight o’clock and I’m thinking to myself, ‘I have four more (classes) this morning and some in the afternoon.’ You get into it. The kids were good. I liked them, and they seemed to like me. That turned out entirely different than I thought it would be. I didn’t think I would like it.”
Fr. Van De Loo values the friendships he developed with priests during what he describes as the height of Sacred Heart from the mid-1950s to 1969, when he became spiritual director at the seminary.
“There must have been 15 of us young priests all learning together,” he said, referring to the Second Vatican Council as an “exciting time.”
“You just didn’t realize how isolated we were,” he said. “It sparked the laity. There wasn’t much preparation for the priests, but those were good times. We lost a lot of priests. We became a smaller church at that time but a much better church.”
Fr. Van De Loo served as pastor at St. Joseph Parish, Oneida, and taught for four years at St. Joseph Academy in Green Bay. In 1979, he became co-pastor at Nativity of Our Lord Parish, Ashwaubenon. He served the parish for four years with Msgr. John Dewane, a year with Fr. David Lewis and 10 years with Fr. Jim Hablewitz.
In 1995, Bishop Robert Banks appointed Fr. Van De Loo to vicar for priests for the diocese.
“That’s another job I didn’t want,” he said with a laugh. “Just going out and visiting the priests was the main thing. They’re working hard, they’re alone, they’re spiritual directors in their parishes. Just go out and see them.”
As vicar for priests, he filled in at parishes on weekends. When he retired to senior priest status in 2002, he celebrated Masses throughout the diocese. “I really enjoyed that,” he said. “The people are so good.”
Fr. Van De Loo recites the Gospels by memory. He started that practice in 1990. “I got so bored reading the Gospel. I just couldn’t get into it,” he said. “One Sunday, there was a short Gospel. I didn’t step very far away from the pulpit. I got through it. The second Sunday was sort of short, so I got through that one. I thought, ‘I’m trapped. I have to remember these.’ I was able to do it. I think that was all the Holy Spirit working.”
Fr. Van De Loo recalls a humorous comment from one young man.
“This kid said, ‘Oh, that’s the priest who can’t read,’” said Fr. Van De Loo with a laugh. “I think he missed the point.”
Fr. Van De Loo currently serves as chaplain at McCormick Assistant Living in Allouez. He celebrates six Masses a week and describes the ministry and people as a “joy.”
Connecting with students from his seminary days, parishioners and retreat attendees helps bring back fond memories and some interesting quotes attributed to him. “They will share something that I said to them,” Fr. Van De Loo said. “I will think to myself, ‘I don’t think I ever said that or meant that, but that’s pretty good, so let’s just go with it.”