Fr. John G. Berger to celebrate 40 years of priestly ministry

Rev. John G. Berger will celebrate his 40th Anniver-sary of his ordination to the priesthood on Sunday, February 18, 2007. There will be a Mass of Thanksgiving at the Church of St. George, 63105 Fort Road, New Ulm, West Newton Township, at 1:30 p.m. followed by an Open House Reception from 2:30 - 5:00 p.m. The reception will be hosted by the parishes of St. Gregory the Great in Lafayette and St. George in West Newton Township where he currently serves as pastor of both parishes.

A native of the Church of St. Brendan in Green Isle, MN, Fr. Berger was educated in the local grade school and high school, Nazareth Hall, and St. Paul Seminary in St. Paul, MN.

Father Berger was ordained a priest for the Diocese of New Ulm on February 19, 1967 at the Church of St. Brendan in Green Isle by Bishop Alphonse J. Schladweiler.

Fr. Berger has served as the Judicial Vicar (Officialis) to the diocesan Marriage Tribunal since 1973 and as Vice-Chancellor of the diocese since 1979. He served as Diocesan Administrator of the Diocese of New Ulm in the wake of Bishop Raymond A. Lucker’s retirement.

Other assignments during his years of priestly ministry include: Church of St. Anastasia, Hutchinson; Church of St. Mary, Willmar; Church of Sacred Heart, Franklin; Church of St. Willibrord, Gibbon; Church of St. Paul, Nicollet; Chaplain at the St. Peter Regional Treatment Center; Church of St. Michael, Gaylord; Church of St. Francis de Sales, Winthrop.

In 1991, Fr. Berger received the New Ulm Diocesan Distinguished Award in appreciation for “his eighteen years of healing ministry as Officialis of the Marriage Tribunal; his eleven years as Vice-Chancellor of the Diocese of New Ulm, and his many years of committed service as a member of the Priests’ Pension Board and Priest Personnel Board.”