Happy Anniversary to the faithful of St. William Parish in Naples! Parishioners there have just completed a yearlong celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Parish’s founding, culminating in a special Anniversary Mass and party on Oct. 6, 2024.
Father George Ratzmann, Pastor of St. William since 2008, said during Mass that a Parish is the sum of its parts, meaning all the faithful who have come for the Holy sacrifice of the Mass at any point, have contributed to its rich history.
Two former Pastors, Father John Rourke (1992-1995) and Father Domonick O’Dwyer (1973-1982), concelebrated the Mass, along with several current priests and those who have served St. William through the years. In addition to current staff, many former staff who have served at St. William’s through the years were also present for the celebration.
Father Ratzmann described the faithful who have called St. William home through the years as the fragments that come together to build up the Universal Church. Under the guidance of the different Pastors and priests throughout the years, Father Ratzmann said the faithful of St. William built up a faith community that has been showing Christ to the world and to each other.
“You are part of a community that when it comes together, is the Mystical Body of Christ,” Father continued. “Christ decided you would be here, and He decided the person next to you would be here; and you all work together to make Jesus present in our community. This is not a happy accident. This is a blessing and destiny that God has foreknown and chosen, before the world began, that we would be here, and we would celebrate and make Jesus present. Never let us take that for granted. Let us never doubt that we are chosen for this mission and pray that as much as we thank God for those who have gone before us, we will leave a testimony great enough that those who follow us will also thank God for our presence and our example. So Happy Anniversary! But let us not think this is the end, this is just a continuation, or even a beginning of even greater things to come for the Glory of God and the good of God’s people.”
As part of the opening procession for the Mass, led by the Color Corps of the Knights of Columbus, representatives from the numerous ministries at the Parishes brought forth colorful banners. A celebratory luncheon followed in the Parish Hall. The presentation of the gifts included the longest parishioner, a woman whose family was among those instrumental in the founding of the Parish, and a baby, who was recently baptized as the newest parishioner.
At the luncheon, a slide show of photos from the Parish archives was presented. Many reflected upon their time at St. William, recalling how much St. William has changed through the years. The one constant? A welcoming home to join other like-minded individuals in worshiping the Lord.
Louise Collins has been attending Mass at St. Wiilliam with her husband since the late 1990s when the couple began spending long vacations in the area. Permanent residents since 2015, Collins said the first Mass they attended cinched they would always return. “We came not knowing anyone, but we felt welcome and we knew we had found our Florida spiritual home.”
St. William Parish was erected on Oct. 2, 1973, with Father O’Dwyer named as the founding Pastor. Masses were initially celebrated at Seagate Elementary Schol with the number of parishioners quickly rising in the growing area. The first permanent church was dedicated in 1980. A renovation and building of the current church building was completed and dedicated by Bishop Frank J. Dewane in 2012. A Parish Life Center was dedicated by Bishop Dewane in 2022. Today, St. William Parish serves more than 3,200 families and many more visitors to the Naples area.
