Monsignor Burke leaves legacy of striving for social justice, devotion to city parish

Monsignor William F. Burke’s easy-going style enabled him to lead a Northeast Baltimore parish for more than four decades while serving as the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s driving force for social justice, according to those beside whom he served and labored.

Monsignor Burke, a Baltimore native and mentor to dozens of the region’s priests, died March 3 of respiratory failure at Stella Maris. He was 89 and had served as a priest in the archdiocese for more than 63 years.

The native of Park Heights in Northwest Baltimore had been pastor of St. Francis Assisi in Mayfield from 1980 until his retirement in 2021. He guided a thriving school at St. Francis at a time when many city parish schools were closing.

From the basement of his parish on the border of Herring Run Park, he also directed Baltimore’s committee of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, working on social justice issues that spanned everything from housing, food deserts, literacy, employment, environmental concerns, racial disparities and homelessness. He served as the Archdiocese of Baltimore’s director of the anti-poverty and social justice arm of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops for nearly five decades.

Monsignor Richard Bozzelli, pastor of St. Bernardine, said Monsignor Burke was an important personal mentor and called him the “conscience of the diocese” on matters of social justice.

Through his advocacy, the Baltimore committee annually brought in thousands of funds from the national CCHD office. He helped local advocacy groups such as Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development (BUILD), Bridge Maryland, Beyond the Boundaries, United Workers, Immigration Outreach, Arundel House for the Homeless and Northeast Housing Initiative find their footing to fight impoverishment and other inequality issues in Maryland.

Monsignor Bozzelli said Monsignor Burke’s devotion to those causes came from his humble approach to his priesthood.

“He was totally without pretense,” said Monsignor Bozzelli, who served as a seminarian with Monsignor Burke at St. Francis from 1992 to 1994 and recently succeeded him as the archdiocese’s director of CCHD. “He respected the ordinariness of people and identified with the simplicity of life. The first thing he introduced seminarians to was the bucket and mop, and said ‘if you aren’t willing to do it yourself, you can’t ask someone else to do it.’”

Monsignor Burke’s calm demeanor left a lasting impression.

“He was so easygoing,” Monsignor Bozzelli said. “I never saw him rattled. There were times when he wasn’t happy, but I never saw him lose his cool. He had that calming presence.”

It was a presence that challenged many in the community and archdiocese. Monsignor Bozzelli, who will deliver the homily at his mentor’s March 10 funeral, said Monsignor Burke’s two favorite saints were St. Francis for his down-to-earth approach that held everything sacred and St. Vincent de Paul for his charitable approach.

“People were drawn to him by his kindness and charity,” Monsignor Bozzelli said. “But for others, he was the conscience of the church. He would constantly remind people of the need for change. Some people were uncomfortable with the things he advocated. He truly believed that the church shouldn’t be just about giving out charity, but it should be about affecting change. And that’s where a lot of people got uncomfortable and got off the bus.”

In a 2013 interview with the Catholic Review, Monsignor Burke said promoting social justice should be central to the priesthood.

“Social justice shouldn’t ever be seen as something extra for a priest,” Monsignor Burke said. “It should be seen as part of the job description.”

Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Denis J. Madden, the former urban vicar, said one of Monsignor Burke’s greatest strengths was showing others how to lead.

“He had a great love for the poor,” Bishop Madden said. “He was someone who was very genuine and tried to live a Gospel-driven life as best he could. He wasn’t up there making a big show. His great gift was that he taught by example and showed people how to lead.”

Monsignor Burke’s work with social justice and service as a pastor had an immense influence on the formation of many priests in the archdiocese, according to Monsignor Bozzelli.

Marge Trenkle, chairwoman of the local CCHD committee and a volunteer with the group since 2001, said Monsignor Burke’s humble approach stood out.

“He was a person who had an endless devotion to the city,” Trenkle said. “He was such a humble man. Very few people knew how much he did behind the scenes. He was a very pastoral person.”

The Rev. Gayle Briscoe, an organizer with Bridge, described Monsignor Burke as “tender hearted.”

“He was passionate, but compassionate,” said Rev. Briscoe, who is on the ministerial staff of Wayland Baptist Church in Baltimore. “He cared about the issues, but cared about the people, too. He was never too busy to take your call or address a concern. He had a way of making you feel like you were the only person he had on his mind.”

At St. Francis Assisi, he was involved heavily in a school that was a cornerstone of the parish’s neighborhood.

According to a Catholic Review retirement profile in May 2021, Monsignor Burke was the fifth of six children of Richard and Katherine Kelly Burke, raised in a bustling home in vibrant St. Ambrose Parish.

After graduating from what was then Loyola High School, Monsignor Burke spent a year apiece at Loyola College and St. Charles, completed his undergraduate studies at St. Mary’s Seminary, and then earned bachelor’s degrees in philosophy and theology from the American College of the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium, a seminary which had reopened after World War II. 

He was ordained in 1959 in Belgium. He spent seven years as an associate pastor of St. Mark in Catonsville and four at St. Ann in Baltimore, which offered varied experiences. Monsignor Burke moved on to work as administrator at St. Mary, Star of the Sea, in South Baltimore, and then pastor of St. Elizabeth of Hungary in Highlandtown. He served as University of Maryland Baltimore campus minister from 1978 to 1980 and was temporary administrator at Shrine of the Sacred Heart, Mount Washington, before landing at St. Francis of Assisi as pastor in 1980.

Monsignor Burke had a passion for dogs, hosting a procession of retrievers at his Harford Road rectory, and holding a popular annual blessing of the pets. He also enjoyed excursions to fish from headboats in Ocean City.

The parishioners he served viewed him as a dedicated, humble priest.

“What really stood out was his love for the people,” Bishop Madden said. “He had a tremendous love for his parishioners, the people knew that and it was reflected in the work of the parish.”

Paul McMullen, retired managing editor of the Catholic Review, was a parishioner of St. Francis for nearly two decades. He said what struck him about the parish and Monsignor Burke from the start was the welcome feeling he got when he moved to Chesterfield Avenue in 1985.

“The first thing Father Bill said to me was ‘You will always have a home here,’” McMullen said. “His door was always open whether it was for someone at the front door looking for assistance or a parishioner at the back door with a suggestion.”

McMullen, who now lives in Texas, also said Monsignor Burke was a tremendous advocate for women, delegating leadership roles to school administrators and pastoral associate Sister of Mercy Katherine Bell.

His brother, Charles, and several nieces and nephews survive Monsignor Burke.

Father Patrick Bergquist, a former priest of the Archdiocese of Baltimore who now serves in the Archdiocese of Wilmington, Del., was one of those who cut his teeth as a young priest under Monsignor Burke’s guidance. He said the monsignor’s patience was a great influence.

“I suspect St. Peter is at the gate saying, ‘See, Bill, it all worked out,’” said Father Bergquist, repeating one of his mentor’s most popular refrains.

Monsignor Burke’s body will lie in state at St. Francis March 9 with prayer services scheduled for 11 a.m., 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. A funeral Mass will be offered March 10, 10:30 a.m., at St. Francis, followed by a private interment at New Cathedral Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that you consider a donation to the Catholic Campaign for Human Development www.cchdbaltimore.org or to the Father Burke scholarship fund at St. Francis of Assisi School, 3617 Harford Road Baltimore, MD 21218 https://giving.parishsoft.com/app/giving/PS-1455

Email Gerry Jackson at gjackson@CatholicReview.org

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