Gulf Pine Catholic

Gulf Pine Catholic • June 9, 2023 10 “Father Steve Wilson was part of the Sizor family -- the uncle who spoke hard truth, dined with us, cele- brated graduations, birthdays and holidays with laugh- ter. When the OMS choir sings ‘Taste and See’ which is one of his favorite songs, I will smile and remember Steve Wilson, priest, mentor, and friend.” Charnell Martino said Father Steve’s friendship was unwavering. “He was there for me and my son, Cobie, through the good and the bad,” she recounted. “He came to Biloxi and our parish when we didn’t know how we were going to pick up the pieces after Hurricane Katrina. He was truly an Angel sent to us. When I told him I was pregnant he told me ‘You are carrying a future priest.’ It was before I even knew I was having a boy. “Father Steve baptized him, came back for his first Communion and I always knew he prayed for us. Not a time we saw him went by without him asking Cobie, ‘What order are you going to join?’And with a smile on his face Cobie would say ‘The Redemptorists.’ I am so grateful for the time we were able to spend with him. He lit a fire in Cobie like no other for his faith and love of his Catholic Church.” Martino said Father Steve was not one to beat around the bush. “We are truly better Christians because we knew such a faith-filled man of God, a man who was not only a priest but a mentor, teacher, counselor and most importantly our friend,” Martin continued. “If you wanted an honest opinion, he was the one to give it you and always with a good story and lesson. Even if you had heard the story before there was still something new to learn from it. We will miss Father Steve and it will be a hard time, but I find comfort in knowing I know right where he is.” Brently Byers said the timing of Father Steve’s entrance into his life was providential. “I lived the first 20 years of my life Godless, spiritu- ally destitute. I was searching for God but hadn’t found him,” said Byers. Byers was brought to Seelos by a friend who said he should check it out, so he went one evening and met Father Steve, and remembered him in that encounter as different, charismatic and funny.” “He couldn’t get more than a few sentences out without making a joke, which he then laughed at hys- terically,” Byers further recounted. “I entered RCIA in 2010 and the Church the following year at Easter. My mother entered the year after; my brother and nephew the year after her. In my time since being baptized, I have had many seasons of being lukewarm, even stepped away from the Church completely a few times. Father Steve always came after me and brought me back into the fold. “He was a very popular man in our parish, with many, many families, religious, friends and parishio- ners to keep up with. But just as Jesus left the 99 sheep to find the one, Father Steve always came searching for me, like a good shepherd.” After Byers experienced a series of broken relation- ships, Father Steve told him to consider entering a period of discernment for the priesthood. “I followed his guidance and attended a come-and- see. I ultimately discerned that I was called to married life,” said Byers. “It was a few weeks after that I met my now wife of six years. She came into the Church in 2017 and we have been devoted Catholics throughout our marriage. We have three beautiful children (Brexleigh -- 5, Charlie -- 3, Brady -- 1) and we are living God’s will and design. I owe my life, everything I have, to Father Steve Wilson.” Peter Stich met Father Steve after Hurricane Katrina when his parish, Our Lady of the Lake in Holland, Michigan, adopted Our Mother of Sorrows Parish. Stich was 12 years-old at the time. Over the next few years Stich would go on 10-plus trips down to the parish in various mission trips, and Father Steve quickly became what he liked to call his “phone-a-priest.” “I always enjoyed his approach and candid conver- sations around faith and our journey through it,” he said. “My wife and I attended a Mass in Minnesota, where we lived at the time, and the homily one Sunday really did not sit well with either of us or our faith, to the point we left Mass. “After a couple of days. I decided to message Father Steve as he was living in Rome. He happened to be in the States and called me immediately to talk through my struggles. He listened and understood where I was and would even call out issues with the homily as I relayed my experience.” Stitch recounted when Father Wilson called him around the time of his final exams in college to see how he was doing. At the end of their conversation, Father Wilson asked if he had gone to Mass that week. “After saying I was too busy studying and I had missed the morning Mass, he responded ‘Oh, that's okay, the church there has a 6:30 Mass, let me know how the homily is,’” Stitch said. “He had that in his back pocket during the whole conversation, and looked up churches in Michigan where I was going to school beforehand.” Rita Essick came to work at Keesler Air Force Base from August 2007 to August 2010. She joined Our Mother of Sorrows and volunteered to work with its youth group, teach CCD, sing in the choir, and help out whenever needed. “Led by Father Steve, the parish became so special to me, that I return as often as I can to help when I can,” she said. “Father Steve had qualities that the world is very much in need of. I especially admired his ability to lead with presence. Simply put, he was there. He stayed engaged and did his very best to help the parishioners of Our Mother of Sorrows and the community recover /rebuild in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Like so many others, Essick also admired Father Wilson’s straightforwardness. “He gave the best ser- mons I ever heard on why it was important to sign the kids up for CCD. They were compelling. When he spoke, he was firm; he was direct; he was motivational, and managed to be funny as well. “Whenever I think of him, I can't help but laugh. I regret that I only got to watch him work for a short time. But the ripple effect of his dedication is some- thing that will live on and on.” That ripple effect extended outside of East Biloxi to neighboring parishes. “I came to know Father Wilson in 2007, as the Redemptorists were continuing to re-build Blessed Seelos Church in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He was determined and driven by this effort and loved the people of Back Bay Biloxi, St. John's and Our Mother of Sorrows,” said Deacon Gayden Harper. “He consumed copious amounts of Starbuck's French Roast coffee, black, and on occasion slipped into the street language of Chicago's South Side, even though he was from Seattle. A Certified Public Accountant, Father Wilson would let you know that no one was exempt from his fund-raising projects. “When Father Patrick Hayes passed away at St. Mary's in Gautier, Bishop Rodi tasked me to secure priest coverage for the weekend Masses from June 2007 to January 2008. Father Steve Wilson heard of this situation, called me one night and said, ‘Deacon, not to worry...we're gonna work this out together.’ For the next seven months, Father Wilson always found a way to assure we had priest coverage at both Sunday Masses, either coming himself or sending another Redemptorist Father. Our friendship grew, and he became a mentor and encourager of my diaconal min- istry until he was moved by the Redemptorist Order. Deacon Harper also remembered Father Wilson’s passion for social justice and how he took advantage of every opportunity to share this passion, especially with the Community of Deacons and those in formation for ordained ministry. “Father Wilson thought it was of vital importance that the Deacons of our Diocese had the fullest expo- sure to the needs of Social Justice, and taught several courses to our formation groups,” Deacon Harper fur- ther noted. “He led several retreats for our community, volunteered at the renovated Seelos Center for confer- ences and meetings, and presided at many of our spe- cial liturgies. “He was a friend whom I valued and respected. And since, I have always favored Starbucks French Roast Coffee.” SEE FATHER STEVE WILSON, PAGE 11 Father Steve Wilson From page 1