Pastor served largest parish in local diocese

The Rev. Richard T. Wurzel, who became pastor of the largest parish in the Catholic Diocese of Toledo after serving as founding pastor of the first new parish in years, died Thursday in Hospice of Northwest Ohio, Perrysburg Township. He was 89.

He had squamous cell carcinoma of the epiglottis, said Mary Betz, who was the secretary in the parish office at St. Joseph in Sylvania, where he was pastor. He’d forgone what could have been a grueling course of treatment and decided to stay in his apartment at Oakleaf Village assisted living.

When told last week that it was time to be in the hospice facility, his response was, “‘This is what I have to do,’” said Mrs. Betz, who, with her husband, Dennis, remained friends and visited daily. “He got there, and he was at peace.”

Father Wurzel retired in 2008 after 18 years as pastor of St. Joseph Church in Sylvania, which had more than 10,400 registered members, making it the largest parish in the 19-county diocese.

“I love what I’m doing,” he told The Blade six months before his announced departure. “But I’ll be 75. I don’t have the energy. I can’t do what I used to do... It’s time for new people with new ideas.”

Being in charge of the largest church didn’t mean it was more stressful, he said.

“I’ve always said running a big parish is easier than a small parish. I’ve got a tremendous staff of competent people. I let them do their jobs,” he told The Blade. “In a small parish, the pastor has to do everything.”

Still, he dealt with controversy, if not stress, when, early this century, the parish bought property to expand classroom space and to have room for other parish services. Preservationists and others rallied as it became clear the parish’s plans would require the demolition of Lathrop House, which had served as an Underground Railroad way station.

“Sure, that was stressful,” Father Wurzel said in 2008. “People had strong opinions on either side. But I knew from the start that the only decision that could be reached had to be a compromise. Some people don’t appreciate that.”

That compromise included moving the house to Harroun Community Park, adjoining the original site. A state grant and funds raised by friends of the structure helped pay for renovations. The restored building opened to the public in 2014.

Father Wurzel was organized, and he was a “natural-born leader,” said the Rev. Joseph Cardone, associate pastor of St. Joseph from 1997-2001.

“He was not afraid to make the difficult decisions. He wasn’t stuck in the past,” Father Cardone said. “And while he was firmly rooted in the present, his mind was focused on what about five years from now, what about 10 years from now.”

He was respected as a moral theologian and offered adult education courses in the diocese and elsewhere. St. Joseph parishioners enjoyed a course he and Father Cardone taught together, “Theology for Dummies.”

“He had an incredible ability to translate and relate complex theological ideas into images and examples people can understand,” said Father Cardone, chief mission officer at Bon Secours Mercy Health. “Implicit in all of it was his faith. He was open and vulnerable when he shared it, but it wasn’t in a preachy or negative dogmatic kind of way.”

In 1978, then-Bishop John Donovan assigned him to be pastor of a parish to be located on Heatherdowns Boulevard, the first created since 1962. It would be named St. Joan of Arc and the church was built in a former cornfield. Father Wurzel taking charge of what at first was called Parish 166 knew decisions about the name and building design were ahead.

“I want to find a place to meet and to celebrate the liturgy as soon as possible,” he told The Blade then. The first Mass was July 29, 1978, at St. John’s Jesuit High School.

Sean Savage was 8 years old when his family became members of the new St. Joan of Arc. He was a student at the school and became an altar server. When his father, John Savage, died, Father Wurzel presided at the funeral Mass. And when he and his wife, Carolyn, married, Father Wurzel presided.

“He was a humble man, truly a servant, and was a brilliant communicator on topics of the Catholic faith and morality,” Mr. Savage said. “He brought thousands of people into a better relationship with Jesus. It was remarkable.

“I felt so blessed to be close to him. I felt that when you were with him, you were closer to God,” Mr. Savage said.

He was approachable and he had an uncanny ability to remember people’s names and family histories, Father Cardone said.

“He was a joy. He liked people,” Father Cardone said.

From 1961-64, he was associate pastor of St. Wendelin Parish in Fostoria and taught religion at St. Wendelin High School. From 1964-78, he was associate pastor and then pastor of St. Thomas More University Parish in Bowling Green. He had served on the Diocesan Tribunal, the Court of Equity, Building Commission, and the Diocesan Priests’ Council. He had been a member of ethics committees at the former Mercy Hospital and at what is now Mercy Health St. Charles Hospital.

He was born May 13, 1933, to Emerence and Francis Wurzel, grew up in Fremont, and was a 1951 graduate of St. Joseph High School.

He attended the St. Gregory Seminary of the Athenaeum of Ohio and Mount St. Mary’s Seminary, both of Cincinnati. He attended Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome, from which he received a doctor of sacred theology degree in 1961.

Surviving is his brother, Dr. John “Jack” Wurzel.

Reception of the body and Vespers will begin at 4 p.m. Monday in St. Joseph Church, Sylvania, where visitation will continue until 7 p.m. Visitation will resume at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the church, where the funeral Mass will begin at 11 a.m.

Tributes are suggested to Bishop Hoffman Catholic School in Fremont.

Contact Mark Zaborney at: mzaborney@theblade.com.