After Father Bill Murtaugh offers his final Masses as pastor of Pax Christi in Eden Prairie on June 22 and begins his retirement, one of his projects will be a jigsaw puzzle.
COURTESY NATALIE COOPER | PAX CHRISTI
While he admits he lacks patience for traditional tabletop puzzles, Father Murtaugh — who in August turns 80 and also celebrates 53 years of priesthood — plans to spend more time fitting together the pieces of his life’s puzzle: family, friends and parishioners who have loved and affirmed him.
“After 80 years, I think it’s a pretty big puzzle,” Father Murtaugh said.
“There are so many blessing (from) wherever I’ve gone. The people are great,” he said, adding that he looks forward to catching up with them when no longer bound by a pastor’s full calendar. “I’m glad that they came into my life and I hope they’re glad that I came into their life, too.”
Bruce Koehn, a longtime member of Pax Christi and a parish trustee, said Father Murtaugh valued relationships.
“He worked hard on relationships in terms of growing people closer to God,” Koehn said. “He used humor, he used playfulness to be engaged. He really engaged with youth; he knew the importance of reaching out, getting to know youth, especially if we’re trying to maintain the youth in the Church. It was one of his priorities.”
Koehn said that parishioners of Pax Christi who have seen pastors come and go in the parish believe Father Murtaugh was the perfect person for the roles he served at the parish: pastor twice (2012-2018, then again 2022-2025), parochial administrator (2022), parochial vicar (2018-2019), senior associate pastor (2011-2012), and senior parochial vicar (2006-2011).
“We’ll miss him,” Koehn said.
As Father Murtaugh reflected on his priestly ministry in seven archdiocesan parishes —and others before that when he belonged to a religious order — he said getting to know his parishioners, assisting and learning from them have been highlights of his priesthood.
“I feel that I’ve really been blessed being a parish priest throughout the archdiocese and meeting wonderful people,” Father Murtaugh said. “I think the best part of being a priest is walking with people in their joys and sorrows. I’ve done my best.”
In the archdiocese, Father Murtaugh has served at St. John the Baptist in New Brighton; Minneapolis parishes of Basilica of St. Mary, St. Joan of Arc and Christ the King; St. Henry in Monticello; St. Thomas Becket in Eagan; and Pax Christi. Before that he served in Cleveland and New York City parishes as a member of the international Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, whose U.S. province is based in Highland Heights, Ohio.
Father Murtaugh brought a love of liturgy, an openness to serve wherever he’s asked and a willingness to set aside his to-do list for the “ministry of interruptions.”
The sixth in a family of seven boys in Hastings, Father Murtaugh was initiated into the faith, served at the altar and was ordained a priest at his home parish of Guardian Angels, now part of the merged parish St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Hastings.
An avid reader from childhood, Father Murtaugh said he found inspiration for the priesthood from reading about the lives of the saints, especially St. Francis of Assisi. He learned about the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament when he attended Blessed Sacrament Seminary preparatory high school in Waupaca, Wisconsin. Discerning a call to the congregation, he later studied in Cleveland and Chicago.
Father Murtaugh was ordained at his home parish in 1972 by Bishop Raymond Lucker. For several years in the 1970s, priests were ordained in their home parishes, rather than at the Cathedral of St. Paul in St. Paul.
Father Murtaugh enjoyed doing parish work as he prayed. He shared meals and worked with congregation members in the community, but after 10 years he said he felt something was missing. Discerning that God was calling him back to the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, he was incardinated as a diocesan priest in 1982.
Since then, while doing parish work, Father Murtaugh has also served on the archdiocesan Presbyteral Council and as a dean. He served on the archdiocese’s Comprehensive Assignment Board for seven years, helping recommend placement of pastors in parishes to the archbishop. Familiar with parishes that needed pastors, Father Murtaugh agreed to his Pax Christi assignments and to serve two separate times at St. John the Baptist.
“I have always said yes to what was asked of me and maybe I would have chosen other parishes, but this is the way it played out and it played out well for me, so maybe God knew what God wants,” Father Murtaugh said.
Though serving the poor in the inner city has long been one of Father Murtaugh’s desires, his assignments have taken him to more diverse parishes. “It matured me in many different ways, my different assignments. You mature in priesthood just like you mature in marriage or any other vocation,” he said.
When Father Murtaugh retires, he plans to minister to those experiencing homelessness at a Minneapolis drop-in center, where he hopes to learn more about detachment and surrender. He will also be a regular presider at Sunday Masses at Our Lady of Victory Chapel at St. Catherine University in St. Paul.
Father Murtaugh said he’ll probably still need a calendar for his retirement activities. He said he’s glad it won’t contain parish meetings, but more time with his canine companions— his golden retriever, Seamus, and golden doodle, Murphy.
“I feel at this time in my life I’m pretty peaceful (with) what the future will be,” Father Murtaugh said. “I’m just thankful for 53 years of ministry and I hope to help out in other places. You know, you don’t retire from priesthood. I’d like to be of service wherever I can be.”
Josh McGovern of The Catholic Spirit contributed to this report.
