Missioner from Troy profiled in book

Now, a Maryknoll sister who worked with him wants Catholics in the Albany Diocese to know his story through her new book, "If I am Found Worthy," which covers his childhood, seminary work and priestly ministry until his death in August 1962.

"So much has been written about his death that I really wanted to tell the story of his life, his growth through the seminary, his commitment," said Sister Elizabeth Roach. "I wanted to tell the story accurately while someone who was there was still around to tell it."

Drawn to missions

Some of his sisters also pursued vocations, with two joining the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet and one becoming a Maryknoll sister.

After graduating high school in 1948, Bill entered the Maryknoll seminary and began his preparation for the priesthood. During his years as a seminarian, Bill often wrote letters to his family, which provided much of the background for Sister Elizabeth's book. The title comes from a letter Bill wrote in 1954: "Yesterday, I signed the formal petition to take the Society Oath for one year, if I am found worthy."

That willingness to join the Maryknoll Society at any cost impressed Sister Elizabeth.

"I was just astounded at the depth of his spirituality and how early in those letters you can see this kind of a commitment that he'd be able to put his life on the line," she said.

Off to missions

His last assignment would be at Our Lady of Mercy Church in Montero, the busy center of Bolivia's growing sugar cane industry. The boom in business led to employment opportunities, but also to alcoholism, violence and other problems for residents; there had been at least two murders in town the year Father Bill came, but the suspects weren't prosecuted because they were connected to the government.

One person who caused Father Bill problems was Mario Saravia, who owned a bar with a wall right next to the priest's bedroom wall; loud music and shouting could be heard well after 2:30 a.m. Father Bill confronted Mr. Saravia about the noise but got nowhere; his pastor then spoke with the mayor, who ordered the bar closed within 30 days.

Last day

"It was a terrible shock at first," she said. "He was the new kid on the block and was called to give his life. He was so innocent. After we sat down and reflected on it, we realized it's something that happens to Christians when you stand up for what you believe."

Father Bill's murder led to more violence, as a mob beat the murderer to death. "They really weren't the kind of people who would kill someone like that, but there were a lot of extenuating circumstances," Sister Elizabeth said. "We tried to talk people out of it."

Another priest found Mr. Saravia being beaten and took him inside the church to rescue him, but the mob broke in, seized the body and hanged it from a tree in the town plaza.

Reaction

Back home, Catholic Central High School students wrote essays and raised money to build a chapel near Montero in his name; Bolivians named a school for him and still tell his story to their children.

Sister Elizabeth, who now works at Maryknoll headquarters in Ossining, New York, wanted to tell his story and initially planned to write a book for children. But after she began reading Father Bill's letters that his sister, Sister Francis Marie, CSJ, had given to the Maryknoll archives, she decided to begin "If I am Found Worthy" in September 1996.

Other interviews with family members helped Sister Elizabeth in researching her book, which should be available soon in bookstores and is already on the internet. She hopes readers will see just how committed Father Bill was to his work as a Maryknoll missionary.

The research and writing "gave me a chance to reflect on his life, and I was very touched by it," she said. "I hope it helps people with their own Christian commitment. You can see that commitment growing all through his life."

(For information about the book, visit www.iuniverse.com.)

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