Alumni Spotlight: Fr. Bill Spencer

In God's Time
Daniel Gallio
MOSAIC, Winter 2008

  
The year was 1957, and young Bill Spencer from Philadelphia had a decision to make. He was completing his seventh year of seminary and presbyteral ordination was close at hand. Yet, in his heart, Bill "felt he was not quite ready for ordination." His vocation director was sure Bill did have a vocation and encouraged him to stay. Nonetheless, Bill left the seminary after completing his BA in Philosophy, knowing it was the right thing to do . . . at the time.

Without a scholastic exemption, Bill was drafted into the Army. While on leave, he met Margaret "Peg" Quinn and they married in 1959. Soon came their children—Marge in 1963, Bill Jr. in 1965 and Beth in 1972. Bill's career advanced, as well. After earning a BS in Industrial Management, he became a computer systems analyst for Bechtel Corporation and Detroit Edison, from which he retired in 1998.

Though his work and family life were busy, Bill and Peg found time to serve the Church they loved. After attending a Cursillo Marriage Encounter in 1969, they became active in the Charismatic Renewal and the Third Order Carmelites. They moved their family to Ann Arbor in 1981 to join the Word of God Christian community and became active members of Christ the King Parish in Ann Arbor.

"Once, Peg said to me, 'Do you think you should have been a priest?' recalls Bill. "My answer was, 'No, I believe my seminary training has prepared me to be an active layman.'"

Misfortune came to the family in 1991, when Peg was diagnosed with breast cancer. The cancer thankfully went into remission until 2000, when chemotherapy was again prescribed. While resting with his spouse in Ocean City, New Jersey, a thought came to Bill in prayer: "If something should happen to Peg, I should consider the priesthood."

"Fifteen minutes later," Bill recalls, "I took a walk and a man standing at a door looked up and said, 'Are you a priest? You look like a priest I knew growing up.'" Bill tucked this odd coincidence deep in his heart.

There were more such "coincidences."

With Peg's passing in 2004, Bill in his grief wondered how he should best use his remaining days. At her funeral Mass, he again felt an impulse to consider the priesthood. Bill scheduled a meeting with his pastor and later ran into him unexpectedly on the parish grounds.

"My pastor didn't know why we were meeting. Yet, he asked, 'Would you want to be an associate pastor?'"

"Lord, I need confirmation," Bill petitioned in prayer at Monday morning Mass. As a challenge of faith, he asked God to send three people to ask him about the priesthood. He prayed for Peg to intercede, as well.

On Thursday morning, a deacon proposed he consider the priesthood. On Friday, a couple invited him to dinner and asked, "Have you considered the priesthood?" On Monday, Bill visited his parish rectory and encountered a young man who was discerning the priesthood, himself. The man said suddenly, "You should be a priest, too."

Encouraged by these improbable confirmations, Bill cleared his decision to pursue ordination with his supportive children. Yet, the Lansing and Detroit dioceses had age limits for seminarians. What to do?

Fr. Daniel Jones was one of his professors at Sacred Heart, where Bill (coincidentally?) began studying for an MA Theology degree in 2004. Father Jones suggested an inquiry with Bishop Robert Carlson of the Diocese of Saginaw.

The somewhat reluctant bishop wanted six days to discern Bill's request. His surprising answer was an enthusiastic "Yes."

Bill began his formation at Sacred Heart for the Saginaw diocese in September 2005. He was ordained a transitional deacon in June 2007 and in August became pastoral administrator of Our Lady of Lake Huron Parish in Harbor Beach. Bishop Carlson bestowed presbyteral ordination upon him on December 14.

Fr. Bill Spencer is believed to be the oldest priest ordained in the U.S. in 2007, at the age of seventy-five. His advice to other men who are discerning the priesthood?

"Pray, especially before the Blessed Sacrament. And don't let age keep you from answering the call.

"Remember, the Lord used Moses and Abraham in the Old Testament. And they were senior citizens!"

Like Moses and Abraham, Fr. Bill Spencer's call came all in God's time.