For 46 years Reverend F. William (Bill) Mahoney served first the Diocese of Gravelbourg then the Archdiocese of Regina not only as a diocesan priest but in various other ministries as well. Father Mahoney died at the age of 78 after failing health forced an early retirement in 2009.
Mahoney was born in Swift Current, obtained his early education in Success, Saskatchewan, high school at Campion College in Regina and St. Peter’s College, Muenster, Saskatchewan. He studied philosophy at St. Joseph’s Seminary Edmonton, then transferred to Le Grande Seminaire de. St. Boniface where he studied theology and completed those studies at Le Grande Seminaire d’Ottawa. He was ordained priest May 19, 1963 in his home parish of Sacred Heart, Swift Current.
He served first in the Marriage Tribunal of the former Diocese of Gravelbourg as well as in several rural diocese parishes. He studied psychology at the Illinois University of Professional Psychology in 1980 and became a psychotherapist at Bosco Homes treating troubled youth until the organization closed its doors. During that time he also served as priest in several rural Archdiocese parishes.
He developed the Archdiocese’s first set of guidelines for dealing with sexual abuse in the church. He was also the Coordinator of the Archdiocesan Lay Ministry Program and, for many years, provided personnel support for the Regina Archdiocese. He spent some time working with Mother Teresa in Calcutta, India which grew his concern for social justice and the underprivileged. Mahoney was also involved in the organization of Development and Peace in Saskatchewan. The last 13 years of his ministry was spent as Parish Priest at Regina’s Little Flower Parish where he worked with Sister Melvina Hruska RNDM who in the latter years of his life became his care giver.
“He was very compassionate and merciful,” said Hruska in an interview with the PM. “He had a heart as big as he was.” Hruska said Mahoney had a tremendous capacity for knowledge.
Sister Hruska was with him and three members of his family when he died, January 19. “It was a gift for me to be there as he greeted death joyfully. He gave to his dying the same energy and zest he gave to every other ministry he had in his lifetime and he never lost his sense of humour even as he was dying. “
A celebration of Father Mahoney’s life is scheduled for 1 p.m., Friday January 29 in Little Flower Parish Hall with a funeral mass to follow at 2 p.m. in the church proper.
Father Bill leaves to mourn his two brothers, Maurice and Brian and their families, many nieces, nephews, grand nieces and nephews.
