Christmas Day will be especially poignant for Father William A. Au, pastor of the Shrine of the Sacred Heart.
The special day will be the final regular Mass at the Mount Washington faith community as it prepares to unite with Cathedral of Mary Our Queen in Homeland, St. Thomas Aquinas in Hampden, St. Pius X in Rodgers Forge and St. Mary of the Assumption in Govans to form a new faith community seated at the cathedral.
It will also be Father Au’s last major celebration at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart before he officially retires Dec. 31 after nearly half a century in the priesthood, 14 of which were devoted to the shrine.
Parishioners honored Father Au on his retirement with a Nov. 24 celebration that also lifted up the various ethnic communities of the parish.
“The parishioners love him,” said Linda Boswell, parish manager at Shrine of the Sacred Heart who has worked with Father Au for more than 30 years. “They call him Papa Au. When he had hip surgery, they did a meal train for him, and he had lunch and dinner prepared for him every day. He had so much food he would tell us to come eat.”
When you work with someone for so long, “you really get to know them,” added Boswell.
“Father Au has been such a good friend,” she said, “and we will stay friends forever.”
Father Au, who will turn 76 Jan. 12, grew up in Phillipsburg, N.J., where his home parish was Ss. Phillip and James – the same name of the Baltimore parish he would later serve as associate pastor and pastor. Since he was a boy, he had the idea in his head about becoming a priest.
“I had a good relationship with a parish priest, and he gave me more human insight into what it’s like being a priest,” he said. “I saw the impact they had on people. It was an idea that just wouldn’t go away. I knew I wasn’t going to be happy until I tried it out. I went into the seminary, and the rest is history.”
Father Au attended St. Charles College in Baltimore and St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Roland Park and was ordained in 1975. He also earned a doctorate in church history from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C.
His first assignment was associate pastor at Our Lady of Victory in Arbutus. He moved to serve as associate pastor at Ss. Philip and James in Homewood from 1975 to 1977. Years later he would become pastor of the same parish.
He also served in residence at St. Dominic in Hamilton, and was associate pastor of Most Precious Blood in Baltimore and St. Clare in Essex. While attending Catholic University for his doctoral studies, Father Au worked in the hospice unit of Stella Maris in Timonium 1980-83.
In addition to his work in parishes, he served as assistant chancellor and, later, director of public relations for the Archdiocese of Baltimore 1985-92. He acted as a spokesperson for the archdiocese. He learned to deal with the media, wrote many documents and assisted in preparing many of the writings of Archbishop William D. Borders.
After 17 years as pastor of Ss. Phillip and James, Father Au was reassigned to Shrine of the Sacred Heart in 2010. The Filipino community was just starting to become more prominent in the parish.
“We don’t wind up anywhere by accident,” said Father Au, who welcomed the Filipino community with open arms.
Boswell spoke of Father Au’s devotion to the Blessed Mother and how he himself would crown a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary at Christmas, Easter and other special days.
“I have always had a devotion to Mary,” Father Au said. “Mary allows us to experience the feminine side of God’s love as a source of grace and healing.”
Father Au reflected on his work at Stella Maris as an integral part of his priesthood.
“Working in hospice taught me an awful lot about life and shaped my ministry,” he said. “As a priest, I was usually called in before or after someone’s death but working in hospice allowed me to be present for the whole process. I saw them overcome fear with their faith and make peace.”
Since 2009, Father Au has participated in interfaith international programs sponsored by the Civilizations Exchange and Cooperation Foundation in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, Kenya and Kyrgyzstan. He has also been a supporter of the Better Understanding for a Better World (BUBW) youth conferences, working with high school exchange students coming to the U.S.
Father Au said the programs have a goal of avoiding religion as a source of division or conflict and instead working together to build peace. He plans to continue ecumenical and interfaith outreach in retirement.
“Being a priest demands everything from you, but it’s really a great feeling when you make a difference in someone’s life,” he said. “Those times when people make it known to you that you have touched their lives and made a difference – this is the most rewarding or affirming part of being a priest.”
David Bender has worked closely with Father Au over the past three and a half years while serving as parish council president.
“Father Au is brilliant, and he is one of the best pastors I have ever had in my life,” said Bender, who has been a parishioner of the shrine for more than 30 years. “His homilies are spot on – they speak to you. He is very passionate about what he believes in. He is not just a great pastor, but a great leader.”
While the shrine was originally supposed to join with other parishes at the cathedral Dec. 1, Archbishop William E. Lori extended the formation date of the new parish until Christmas so the community could have its Simbang Gabi, a Filipino tradition of a series of nine masses leading up to Christmas Eve. Father Au has spent a lot of time lately discussing the merger with his parishioners.
“I tell them God has a plan for each of us,” Father Au said. “If what we don’t want to happen happens, it doesn’t mean we can’t have a meaningful life together. I want to be known as the priest who was always there for the people I served as a source of comfort, help and wisdom.”
Father William A. Au
BORN: Jan. 12, 1949
HOME PARISH: Ss. Philip and James, Phillipsburg, N.J.
SEMINARY: St. Charles College, Baltimore; St. Mary’s Seminary and University, Roland Park
PRIESTLY ORDINATION: May 10, 1975
ASSIGNMENTS: Our Lady of Victory, Arbutus (1975), associate pastor; Ss. Philip and James, Homewood (1975-77), associate pastor; St. Dominic, Hamilton (1977-83), in residence; Most Precious Blood, Baltimore (1983-84), associate pastor; Archdiocesan Peace and Justice Commission, 1983-85; assistant chancellor for special projects and public relations, 1985-92; St. Clare, Essex (1985-86), associate pastor; Ss. Philip and James, Homewood (1992-2010), pastor; Shrine of the Sacred Heart, Mount Washington (2010-2024), pastor
QUOTE: “Being a priest demands everything from you, but it’s really a great feeling when you make a difference in someone’s life. Those times when people make it known to you that you have touched their lives and made a difference – this is the most rewarding or affirming part of being a priest.”
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