REV. FATHER GEORGE BERNARD HORATH, age 79, passed away at Gundersen Boscobel Area Health Care on Sun., Nov. 2, 2014. He was born the second of five children on Oct. 4, 1935, in Chicago, and is predeceased by his parents, William and Mary [Martin] Horath, Rev. Fr. Bill Horath, and infant brother Robert. He is survived by his brother, Rev. Fr. James Horath, Mosinee, WI, and his sister, Mary Joan Boyle, Chicago, and other relatives and friends.
After attending Little Flower and later Christ the King Parish Grade School, Father attended St. Ignatius High School, Chicago. During high school Father experienced a call to become a priest. Noreen Brennan, a family friend, Fr. Bill’s godmother, and a mystic, told Father after consulting Jesus that he did have a vocation to the priesthood. In spite of the fact the he was in line to receive basketball scholarships from de Paul and Loyola Universities, Father at the age of 18 entered the seminary.
He studied philosophy at St. Francis Minor Seminary in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Queen of Apostles Seminary in Madison, Wisconsin. He then continued in theological studies at St. Francis Major Seminary in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was ordained by Most Reverend Cletus F. O’Donnell, Bishop of Madison, on May 25, 1963, at St. Raphael Cathedral, Madison, and said his first Mass at Christ the King in Chicago.
Father Horath served the Diocese of Madison as a parochial vicar at St. John the Baptist Parish, Princeton; St. John the Baptist Parish, Jefferson; and St. Dennis Parish, Madison; and as pastor for 37 years for St. Mary Parish, Fennimore, with eventual mission to St. Lawrence O’Toole Parish, Mt. Hope and St. John Nepomuc Parish, Castle Rock (now all merged into Queen of All Saints Parish, Fennimore), until his retirement from active ministry in 2011 as Pastor Emeritus. He also served the diocese as the Area Vocation Director for Marquette, Green Lake, and Columbia Counties and as a member of the Diocese of Madison Board of Education.
On Nov. 28, 1974, The Fennimore Times reported that Fr. George Horath was the new pastor at St. Mary’s in Fennimore. The same article noted, “he has one brother who is a priest at St. Mary’s in New Richmond and another brother who is at St. Mary’s in Kenosha and will be ordained next year at St. Mary’s in Rhinelander.’’ Three brothers, three priests, three St. Mary’s…God works in wonderful and mysterious ways!
Father exhibited great reverence when saying Mass, noticeable even to visitors. His sermons were always short, but in those minutes he gave clear teaching about the Catholic Faith. Watching his actions during the Consecration and Holy Communion was itself a teaching on the True Presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.
Over the years as pastor of St. Lawrence O’Toole in Mount Hope, his wonderful parishioners had great fun trying to outbid father for various Chicago Bear memorabilia at the Summer Festival auction. Once the bid got sufficiently high--some might say ridiculously high--other bidders would back off and Father always won the item.
Father loved the youth of the parish. A self-taught karate “expert,” he held karate lessons in the 3rd floor gym in the old Catholic school. He also had a repertoire of little magic tricks to entertain children…pulling quarters from behind their ears and making coins disappear into thin air.
Every time the Chicago Bears won a game, he would have a large basket of candy available for the kids to take one piece or one handful to help him celebrate. Packer fans groaned at his terrible jokes; Bear fans chuckled. It didn’t matter which team, Packers or Bears, was currently winning…the jokes were always on the Packers! The Poor Souls benefited from Father’s wager with the parish--a Bear win over the Packers meant that each parishioner would say one Our Father for the Poor Souls; a Packer win meant that Father would say ten Rosaries.
At the age of 72, Father was asked to take on a third parish, St. John Nepomuc in Castle Rock. No questions asked, he just did it.
Father served as pastor in Fennimore for 37 years, retiring from full-time ministry in March 2011. When the new priest, Fr. John Sasse, arrived, he asked how new priests were traditionally welcomed into the parish…hmmm…1974…2011…after 37 years no one could remember any tradition…
Fr. George Horath served as a priest for 51 years. Fennimore and the surrounding communities were truly blessed to have him as spiritual leader for 37 years. One of his most significant accomplishments was to establish a chapel of perpetual adoration, operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for the past 18 years.
Visitation at Queen of All Saints Parish (St. Mary Church, 960 Jefferson St., Fennimore) will be held on Tuesday, November 4, from 4:00 pm until 8:00 pm, with a Knights of Columbus rosary service at 3:30 pm.
The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Queen of All Saints Parish (St. Mary Church) on Wednesday, November 5, 2014, at 11:30 am. Most Reverend Robert C. Morlino, Bishop of Madison, will be the celebrant with Reverend Father Miguel Galvez, Parochial Administrator, Queen of All Saints Parish, Fennimore, as homilist.
Interment will take place immediately following the Funeral Mass at St. Mary Catholic Cemetery, Fennimore, with the Rite of Committal presided by Reverend Father Miguel Galvez. A luncheon will be served at the parish hall following interment at the cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, memorials will be given to Priests for Our Future, seminarian education for the Diocese of Madison. Funeral Services have been entrusted to the Larson Family Funeral Home, Fennimore, WI.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord.