By Anne Marie Amacher
Father William Meyer, a retired priest of the Diocese of Davenport, will celebrate the 60th anniversary of his ordination next week.
A native of Davenport, he graduated from St. Mary Grade School, St. Ambrose Academy and St. Ambrose College. He did his theology studies at St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, Minn.
He was ordained May 26, 1949, at Christ the King Chapel on the Loras College campus in Dubuque. Bishop Ralph Hayes of the Diocese of Davenport was in Rome at the time of Fr. Meyer’s ordination, so he was ordained in Dubuque by Auxiliary Bishop Edward Fitzgerald.
Fr. Meyer was an assistant pastor at St. Mary Parish in Iowa City from 1949-60 and St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Davenport from 1960-68. He then served as pastor of St. James Parish in Toronto and its mission St. Patrick Parish in Big Rock from 1968-71, St. Mary Parish in Muscatine from 1971-81 and its mission St. Malachy in Arden from 1971-72, Our Lady of Victory Parish in Davenport from 1981-93 and St. Mary Parish in Mechanicsville from 1993-99.
Fr. Meyer retired July 6, 1999, and resided at St. Vincent Center in Davenport until he moved in-residence to Our Lady of Victory Parish in 2004.
Other positions that Fr. Meyer held were scout chaplain, youth chaplain in the Iowa City Deanery, scout chaplain in Davenport and dean of the Davenport Deanery. He also served on the Presbyteral Council, Priests’ Aid Society and College of Consultors.
Today Fr. Meyer assists at Our Lady of Victory Parish.
A Mass of Thanksgiving will be celebrated at 1 p.m. May 24 at Our Lady of Victory Church. A reception will follow in the parish center from 2-4 p.m. Fr. Meyer requests no presents — only presence.
