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The George Wertin Story
... When North Dakota Meets Rome!

     The vital statistics are these: George Wertin is a priest of the Archdiocese of Minneapolis-St. Paul and the Pastor of St. Joan of Arc where he has served for eight years. He is also an art lover, a student of Dante, a lover of classical music and of an apricot poodle named Penny. He is a traveler, an aficionado of all things Italian, a repeat visitor to Italy, and a gourmet cook specializing in (you can guess it) Italian cuisine. He is a lover of theater and of the streets of New York; a man who loves his friends and stays in touch with them over the years. He has hobnobbed with the theologians and attendees of the Second Vatican Council and stood shoulder to shoulder with Cesar Chavez. He's an academician and lately, a raiser of funds and builder of buildings. He's a man who is open and loves the cutting edge. How he got to be all these things are the elements of the George Wertin story.

THE SECOND VATICAN COUNCIL
He talked about loving Rome and his repeated visits to Italy - I asked him, "Could you say, all roads lead to Rome? " He said, "yes, but not necessarily to the Vatican."
     Although George Wertin carries his North Dakota roots deep in him, he has been shaped by other life experiences, most spectacularly his seminary days in Rome. Those days coincided with the Second Vatican Council. They were heady days for a young seminarian who found himself reading daily bulletins, having lunches and dinners with his former Bishop, then a Cardinal, and with the doers and movers in the Council. He often marched in procession with Pope John the twenty-third and served Mass for him. The excitement was tangible in those days and he says he knew he "was witnessing history being made" during the years of John Kennedy and Pope John the twenty-third.

     This was the beginning of a journey that he says has forced him to remain open and to keep reaching and growing. These were the beginning of his years of challenges, starting with a wise and caring mentor in North Dakota and bringing him today to the sometimes unruly and always challenging people of the community of St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church.

NORTH DAKOTA
     Wertin returned from Rome to a small rural parish in Valley City, North Dakota. It was 1964 and, unlike today, in those days there were three priests for a parish of 600 people. His pastor was grappling with initiating the changes promulgated by the second Council. Wertin says his favorite story from those days is one about his older pastor. Wertin was in charge of being sure the church was locked securely at certain times of the day and at night. Being in the quiet and simple area of Valley City, he did not take the possibility of looting and pillaging too seriously and one night neglected to lock the church. The Pastor discovered this oversight and as punishment, refused to turn the altar around for another six months. It's a funny story but one that illustrates poignantly the reluctance many felt in complying with the dictums demanded during those days of change.

     At Valley City, Wertin saw an opportunity to exercise his social conscience and service orientation when he saw the struggles of small farmers to keep the land that had been worked by their families for generations. He joined in the fight to keep the family farms. These years were satisfying and later, when he attended a celebration of the anniversary of the parish -- messages from the people assured him of the value of that period of his ministry. The transition from the cosmopolitan life of Rome and the intensity and intellectual stimulation of the Vatican Council, to the concerns, problems, economics, and politics of rural life was demanding. But Wertin found that he loved being in a parish. No matter how difficult, no matter the challenges, he loved being a parish priest, being with the people.

ACADEMIA AND YOUTH MINISTRY.
     Wertin's next challenge came when he was given a succession of teaching assignments. At Valley City State, Jamestown College, the University of North Dakota, and at the colleges of St. Benedict and St. John's, he taught and met young people eager and interested in the message of social justice that consumed him. He was affirmed by them and sought to challenge them to action. He developed social projects and told the students to sharpen their political awareness, to strive to "make a difference."

     As the Director of Campus Ministry at St. Benedict for eight years, he trained students in the concept and responsibility of lay involvement with clergy in ministry on campus. He organized groups of young people imbued with a call to social justice and sent them to work with Cesar Chavez in California and to catholic worker houses around the country.

     During his tenure at St. Benedict, the decision was made to blend St. Benedict's programs with those of St. John's at Collegeville. This was a difficult time with all of the tensions change brings and the questions of identity faced by the two institutions. All of the stressors of organizational change played out during these years--and he was present for it all. There was a high price to be paid and Wertin says he felt "kind of burned out" after the transition was accomplished. He longed to get back to a parish where he could be with the people.

NORTH ST. PAUL AND FARIBAULT
     Wertin's work called him to North St. Paul for a stint and then to Faribault for three years where he witnessed and was involved in the merging of three parishes, trying to consolidate their programs. Once again, the administrative demands were high and he found himself longing to spend more time ministering to people.

MINNEAPOLIS
     When his next call came, it was a choice between a parish in Los Angeles, where some of his family lived, and St. Joan of Arc in Minneapolis. He chose Minneapolis where he felt he had a lot of friends and contacts that would be important to him in his growth and ministry. As Wertin met the people of St. Joan of Arc for interviews and discussions, he found them to be involved; independent and critical thinkers open to ideas and activism.

     He sees the church as evolving and found the philosophy operative at St. Joan compatible with his own. Wertin says, "the church is not like a museum." That's why he enjoys incorporating the headlines from the daily papers in the opening liturgy. It keeps the congregation current and responsive. We are "not a parish just trying to protect ourselves and taking care of our own souls and being a holy and pious people--but a people involved and caring."

     
George Wertin describes the vision of St. Joan of Arc. This is a 600KB sound(MP3) file that you can play on most media players. To download the file, click here. -from "Visions and Voices"
During his time with St. Joan of Arc, he has initiated Small Christian Communities and developed a dynamic program with our sister parish in Guatemala. He's overseen expansion of the preschool program on Sundays and the music program under the direction of Anna Vagle. The music still includes the variety the congregation has come to expect; from blues to bluegrass, jazz, popular songs of the 60's, and standard hymns. Now there is the addition of a choir performing classical and contemporary sacred music.

     Wertin now is involved in the renovation of the parish center and the attendant fund raising. It's not his favorite part of being a pastor, but he'll stick it out as long as he can be with the people and see it benefiting them and the staff.

     Challenge is the thread that winds through the priesthood of George Wertin. It is the force behind the George Wertin story. He has constantly placed himself in places and situations where challenge was built into his work and he has consistently challenged those around him. He says he has learned the hard lesson of adapting to circumstances and looking for the clear call of justice.

     His life is varied and focused on interactions with people. He has been reading Dante, in the original Italian, with Pat Stevens for years. Recently, they have been joined by three other people and their discussions thrive. Wertin is a member of one of the Small Christian Communities where he finds acceptance, nurturing and edification. He said he is grateful for these people and their generosity, including time for resting and restoration at a cabin in Wisconsin owned by one of the couples.

     He loves to cook and finds comfort in his home in Minneapolis and in the company of his poodle, Penny. Penny accompanies him to work daily and Wertin says she is "responsible for greeting people and putting them at ease. People who come in to see me are anxious and are relieved to see the sparkle in her eyes and her acceptance and affection."

     Wertin loves art. He goes to Chicago annually for an exhibit at the Art Institute and when he is Europe, visits the museums. His favorite painter is Piero della Francesca and as he talks about the work of this artist, he leans forward, animated and excited. As he speaks of art and of his travels he is reminded of a special time in his life. It was before his father's energy deserted him and he lost his mother to cancer and Alzheimer's. It was in the 1960s, at the time of his ordination. His parents flew to Rome for this occasion and then, together the family traveled to Florence where they spent Christmas. Wertin Senior is Austrian, so the family went on to Vienna to visit the places of his family's roots; then to Paris to end their trip. His face softens as he recalls these times and there is a trace of tears. "I am an emotional person," he says and he is no longer smiling.

     Wertin says he "lives in the present" and is "not real goal oriented." He says "I do what I am told." When asked, "How many people would agree with that statement?" he hesitated for a moment, smiled ruefully and answered, "not many."

     There are those who might say that he is sometimes irascible, opinionated; those who might say it is hard to feel heard by him and that he is often distracted in the presence of a group of people. But George Wertin intends to do well, to be a priest to the people. He explains his philosophy: "I do believe in a collaborative ministry. We are here to minister to each other. I am no answer man. If I'm asked for direct advice, I probably won't answer. I'm more a facilitator."

     He says he has been fortunate in having strong and caring mentors, men and women who taught him early the rigors of learning and growing, of staying open to the infinite possibilities in life. They also taught him that the growth does not come without the price of pain and conflict. He has learned his lessons well. He comes now to St. Joan, hoping to be the open, growing, connected pastor he feels this dynamic parish deserves, striving to be sensitive to the needs of the people. Challenged always, intellectually and spiritually, by the proposition "What it means to be church" he strives to join the people in contemplating the answer to that question.

Ronnie Angelus says: "There are three things that make my life work: Talking to my daughter who opens vistas to me and makes me laugh; being in the circle of the Divas, my writing group, who shout "go girl" and give me standing ovations with their smiles and tears; sitting next to Mary and Claude Paradis during Sunday Mass at St. Joan of Arc, which is as close to pure goodness as I will know in this lifetime."
A lot of people think he's doing just fine.

Ronnie B. Angelus

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