Father Steffener, a beloved fixture at Westminster parish, dies at 91

Father Gerard James Steffener always had a long line of people at his confessional box at St. John in Westminster. Many times, the priest would hear confessions 45 minutes before a Saturday Mass, all through the liturgy and then another hour after Mass, according to Melissa Beaghan, a St. John’s parishioner.

“He took his time with each person,” said Beaghan, 47, who has known Father Steffener her entire life. “He was such a Christ-like presence, and his confessions were just so calming. He would ask you what was causing you to sin and what you could do to change and how you could put yourself in the other person’s position. He was the best ever.”

Father Steffener died April 13 at BridgingLife Dove House in Westminster. He was 91. During Holy Week, he had suffered a fall at his home at Carroll Lutheran Village in Westminster, sending him to Shock Trauma in Baltimore.

Born in New Jersey and ordained a Salvatorian priest June 4, 1960, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., Father Steffener later became affiliated with the Voluntas Dei Institute, an international religious organization made up of lay and ordained members who live consecrated lives in the secular world.

The priest was a beloved fixture at St. John for more than half a century, serving as an associate pastor or weekend associate since 1968.

Father Mark Bialek, pastor of St. John, said his friend was still celebrating Masses, hearing confessions and offering spiritual direction until the coronavirus pandemic slowed him down. He noted that many parishioners affectionately referred to Father Steffener as “Father G.”

“He had a very theological mind,” Father Bialek said. “Not only would he listen, but he would provide a very deep spirituality and a very deep philosophy to help guide the people he was talking with. He would spend hours in conversation with you, and when you were with him, you had his undivided attention.”

Father Bialek recalled a story related to him by a parishioner about how Monsignor James Farmer, a former pastor, once recommended that a man receiving his first reconciliation seek out Father Steffener.

“He said it will be quick and easy,” Father Bialek said. “Well, it went on for 45 minutes and he needed a couple of hours to finish the penance. But he was very happy and always went back to Father G because he appreciated that he wanted to give that much of himself. He was a remarkable priest.”

Beaghan said one of Father Steffener’s favorite jobs was serving as the school bus driver at Delone Catholic High School in McSherrystown, Pa. The priest was a religion teacher and chaplain there from 1971 to 1975 and a bus driver from 1971 to 1985.

“He enjoyed engaging the students in very deep, theological conversations,” she said.

Father Steffener had a bachelor’s degree from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., and a master’s degree from what is now Loyola University Maryland in Baltimore. He was fluent in German and enjoyed teaching the language to others. 

“Parishioners loved to go out and have dinner with him,” Beaghan said. “People just soaked up his every word. He was like a living history book.”

In addition to his ministry in Westminster, Father Steffener served in New Jersey at a parish in Fort Monmouth and at Fort Dix in Trenton. He was also a chaplain on a Norwegian American cruise ship in 1972.

Father Bialek noted that Father Steffener was ministering to others right up to the end of his life. Medical personnel who helped transport him from Baltimore to Westminster before he died said they had encountered a saint, the pastor said, as Father Steffener shared life experiences and encouraged them in faith.

“He only had hours left, but he was proclaiming the Gospel, putting people at ease and letting everybody know that things are going to be okay,” Father Bialek said. “That was Father G.”

A visitation will be offered at St. John April 20 from 2 to 8 p.m., with a vigil service at 7 p.m. Visitation will also be held April 21 from 9 to 11 a.m. at St. John, with a funeral Mass at 11 a.m. The vigil service and funeral Mass will be livestreamed on the parish’s Facebook page.

Email George Matysek at gmatysek@CatholicReview.org

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