Rev. Msgr. Michael James Winterer

Rev. Msgr. Michael James Winterer died on Sunday, September 29, 2024 on the Feast of the Archangels.  Saint Michael the Archangel is his patron. He was born on March 9th, 1933 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin to Lawrence William Winterer and Mary Ellen Mellon Winterer. He was their first child. When he was two, the family moved back to Salt lake City, Utah, his mother’s home. By this time they had his little sister Mary Ann in tow. The family moved into a home that was across from the church and the priests’ home. Many a time the priests and seminarians would come over for some of mom’s home baked delights or a cup of coffee and a visit. Michael attended grade school at the old Judge Memorial Elementary School for seven years, until the family moved to Carrington, North Dakota, the birthplace of his father. By this time, his brother Lawrence, Brother Joe, and Sister Teresa were part of the family. His little brother, Tony was born there. There they spent three years enjoying their cousins and grandparents. This was an idyllic time for the family to enjoy the fresh country air and the small town atmosphere. Michael became an altar boy for Fr. Hart, the parish priest at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, and remembers getting up early in the bitter cold mornings to stoke the coal furnace so the church would be warm for Mass. Many happy and carefree times were spent with the family and friends. The family had horses, and Michael had a little Shetland pony named Taffy that he would hitch to a buggy cart and take us all for rides around town. During this time, Michael thought of the priesthood, but the bishop in Fargo said he should wait until he was older.

We returned to Salt Lake City in the fall of 1949, and Michael entered preparatory studies at St. Joseph’s Seminary in Mountain View, California.  In September of 1954, he entered St. Patrick’s Seminary in Menlo Park, California where he completed his training. He was ordained a Catholic priest at the Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City on April 30th, 1960, by Bishop Joseph Lennox Federal, with two other priests, Fr. John Hedderman and Fr. William Flegge. “My calling to the Priesthood was from other priests, whom I observed as an altar server both in Utah and North Dakota,” said Msgr. Winterer.  It was being around them and seeing their living spirit and care of people that inspired me to become a priest.”

As a newly ordained priest, Fr. Michael assisted at the Cathedral until his first assignment as a parish priest and teacher at St. Joseph’s Parish, Ogden 1960-1961.  From 1961 to 1963, he was an Parochial Vicar at St. Ambrose Church in Salt Lake, when he was active in the CYO movement with the Catholic Youth. From 1963 to 1965, he was the Parochial Vicar at St. Marguerite’s in Tooele, and from 1965 to 1968, he was the Parish Administrator at St. Helen’s in Roosevelt.  From 1968 until 1973, he was the Chaplain at the Holy Cross and VA Hospitals in Salt Lake City, and again returned to St. Helen’s in Roosevelt as Pastor in 1973 until 1975. In 1975, Fr. Winterer spent five years in a contemplative hermitage with the late Fr. William McNamara in Sedona, Arizona, Nova Scotia, Canada, and St. George Island, in Maryland. “Every baptized person is called to be a contemplative,” said Fr. Winterer. “The formula is simple. You go from silence to solitude in the prayer of Communion with God and thence to celebration….In order to achieve the vocation of contemplation one must learn to live with silence. As the Bible says, ‘Be still and know that I Am God.'” Psalm 46.

Fr. Michael has conducted many priest and lay Retreats through the years and taught at Our Lady of the Mountains Retreat House in Ogden. In 1980, Fr. Winterer was at St. Francis Xavier Church in Kearns and then moved to Eureka, Utah, where he was the pastor at St Patrick’s Church until 1982. He moved to Richfield, Utah, in 1982 and was pastor of St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church until 1987.  During this time, from 1985 until 1987, Fr. Michael was the Dean of the SW Deanery and served on the Priests’ Personal Board.

In 1987, until 1989, he was the Pastor at St. Marguerite’s in Tooele. In 1989, he was appointed Parochial Vicar for St. Thomas More Church in Sandy. During this time, from 1987, until 1990, he was the Diocesan Vocations Director and continued as the full-time Vocations Director in 1990 until 1992. He was then sent to St. James Church in Vernal, Utah as Pastor. In July of 1993, he was the Parochial Administrator at St. Vincent’s Parish in Salt Lake. And from September until November 1993, he was in Rome, Italy on a Sabbatical. In May of 1994, he started a three year term on the Vocations Board, serving this Diocese. Also during the eighty’s he also served as pastor of the Catholic Church in Wendover, Utah and worked with the Sisters there with the poor and disenfranchised.

He came to Cedar City in 1996 as Pastor, and together with the people built a new parish, Christ the King Catholic Church. During his fifteen years as Pastor there were many challenges and joys.  During his years there, he sustained a severe arm injury requiring surgery after a fall, but continued to work despite the injury.  His work ethic and drive for care of souls was a hallmark in how he poured his life out for God’s people.  On April 15, 2005, he received a Vatican papal honor from the Apostolic Nunciature of the United States of America conferring on him the title of Chaplain to His Holiness.  The investiture ceremony took place on June 26, 2005.

In his pioneering spirit he served in many missions and rural communities, such as Milford, Beaver, Panguitch, Kanab, Escalate and Goshen, and had been known to offer Mass from the back of his truck in Beryl Junction where there was no church. Holy Cross Sister Yvonne Hatt, who served with Msgr. Winterer said, “One of his greatest virtues is that he has great compassion for everyone, and especially for the sick and infirm….With the many hours he spent behind the wheel of his Toyota 4 Runner with 100,000 plus miles on it, Msgr. Mike could fit in a lot of praying.”  He had time to pray while driving or listening to tapes of the New Testament, or listening to classical music. He enjoyed the beauty of nature all around him as drove to many church missions in the south.   Since 2011, Msgr. Mike has continued to be involved in the lives of his parishioners at St. Ann Church, in all the mission parishes and in spiritual direction, anywhere he was needed. He is the priest who with a handshake or hug reminds every parishioner after Mass that he or she is loved.  “I am very thankful to God for calling me to this vocation, said Msgr. Mike.  Being a priest has allowed me to serve the people and bring them to God and God to the people.”  He celebrated his 50th anniversary of ordination in 2010 before retiring in 2011.

Msgr. Terrence Fitzgerald fondly remarks that “Msgr. Winterer is not only one who speaks the message of the Gospel, but he, for 50 years, has given witness to all of us what it means to be faithful to your calling.”

Msgr. Michael Winterer has been afflicted for many years with eye problems, glaucoma and macular degeneration.  Despite this he has continued with his ministry without complaints.  He was committed to a life of prayer, and always available to anyone who required his help.  His contagious sense of humor, and genuine love of all of God’s people made him dear to all who knew him.

Vigil for Rev. Msgr. Michael James Winterer will be on Monday, October 14, 2024 at 7:00 PM Cathedral of the Madeleine, 331 East South Temple, Salt Lake City, with the Very Rev. John Evans presiding.  Funeral Mass for Rev. Msgr. Michael James Winterer will be celebrated on Tuesday, October 15, 2024 at 11:00 AM at Cathedral of the Madeleine, 331 East South Temple Street, Salt Lake City, with Bishop Oscar A. Solis presiding. Committal will follow at Mt. Calvary Catholic Cemetery, 4th Avenue & “T” Street.