I am very sorry to inform you that Father Bill Worner
died at approximately 5:40 p.m. this evening, February 28, 2010. He
was 89 years of age.
Bill Worner was born in San Francisco on September 21,
1920 to Harry C. and Nellie Flynn Worner, and was educated at Saint
Monica Church, Saint Ignatius College Preparatory and Saint
Joseph’s College in Mountain View. He entered Saint Patrick’s
Seminary, Menlo Park, in 1940.
Father Bill was ordained June 16, 1945 by Archbishop
John J. Mitty, who initially assigned him as Assistant Pastor of
Saint Michael Church in San Francisco.
In 1952, Father Worner was appointed to Saint Kevin
Church in San Francisco, where he served three years before his
appointment began at Saint John the Baptist Church in El Cerrito.
Father Worner ministered at Corpus Christi Church in
Piedmont in 1959, and in 1960 was assigned to Saint Bartholomew
Church in San Mateo. He was then appointed to Saint Teresa Church in
1961.
Three years later, in 1964, Archbishop Joseph T.
McGucken assigned Father Worner to residence at Saint Joseph Church
in Cupertino, with the responsibility of establishing the Church of
the Ascension in Saratoga on thirteen acres of family property that
had been offered to the Archdiocese by Mr. Joseph Pon.
The buildings on the property were not structurally
safe for large gatherings of parishioners, so a nearby drying shed
was initially converted into the first Ascension Church.
In November, 1966, the beams of the present church
building were hoisted, and Father Worner, first pastor ofthe parish,
began offering Mass on the new altar in June, 1967.
In 1977, after 13 years at Ascension, Father Worner
was assigned by Archbishop John R. Quinn as pastor of Saint Gregory
Church in San Mateo. Following fourteen years of ministry at Saint
Gregory, Father was appointed Director of the Office of Development,
with residence at the newly established Serra Retirement Center
(later renamed Serra Clergy House).
Father Worner retired from active ministry on March 1,
1994, but accepted Archbishop Quinn’s request at that time that he
serve as co-Director with Father Pat Keane of the Archdiocesan
program for Retired Priests.
In 1995, he was appointed Director of Serra Clergy
House, and Representative for Retired Priests in San Mateo County, a
responsibility he undertook faithfully until January, 2004.
In recent years, Father had moved to Alma Via of San
Francisco (2007), and to Alma Via of Union City (2008). I use the
occasion of this memo to thank, in particular, Sister Annette,
Suzanne, Farida and the staff at Alma Via of Union City for the
competent and loving care they provided as Father’s health
declined.
Please join Archbishop Niederauer, Archbishop Quinn,
Father Frank Murray, Monsignor Bob McElroy and me in remembering
Father Bill and his family. He is predeceased by his brother, Albert
Worner, and survived by his nephew, Rich Worner; nieces, Sue
Tierney, Judy Hurabiell and Nancy Fleck; and Al’s wife, Evelyn
Worner. Your letters of condolence may be sent to Rich for the
family. Mr. Rich Worner, 129 Palm Avenue, San Francisco, CA
94118
