Q&A With Father George Wenzinger

In 2021, Fr. George Wenzinger was named the Diocese of Toledo’s Minister to Priests. The newly created role was a result of the Diocesan Strategic Plan and is now funded by the Living Christ campaign. A natural introvert with a gift for empathy, he was well-suited for the role of pastoral and spiritual care for our priests. He spent years as a pastor in the Diocese of Toledo from Defiance to Leipsic before his final assignment as pastor of Perrysburg's St. Rose Parish. He is also a trained spiritual director and papal-appointed Missionary of Mercy. Today, he works part-time as the Minister to Priests, caring for as many of the priests in the Diocese of Toledo as possible. We asked Fr. George to participate in a question and answer session.

Q. Fr. George, how did you feel when you were asked to be featured in Graceful Living?

A. At first I felt resistant for various reasons, wondering if I had anything worthwhile to offer Should I accept or "gracefully" decline?

Q. Obviously you said yes!

A. Yes, after praying about it for a while, my thoughts and feelings led me to the conclusion that my ‘yes’ to your invitation would be a way to serve the mission of the New Evangelization in some small way Maybe I do have something to offer Graceful Living readers, which are largely composed of brothers and sisters in my age group and demographic

Q. What might be that something you have to offer for the sake of the mission of living a graceful life?

A. Coincidentally, I just read a new book called: "The Fourth Quarter of Your Life: Embracing What Matters Most" by the popular Catholic author Matthew Kelly and coauthor Allen Hunt . Now, at age 71, I must accept the reality that I myself and many others are in, or very close to being in, the fourth quarter of life How can we embrace what matters most with the time we have left? I was intrigued by the thoughts presented by the authors: "people don’t accidentally age gracefully, people don’t accidentally die peacefully, people do not accidentally leave behind legacies of hope, love and encouragement Successful fourth quarter living takes intentionality."

Q. I think you are correct. It reminds me of the quote: “What lies behind us, and what lies before us, are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”

A. I am so grateful that God the Creator has given me the opportunity to have reached the seventh decade of life and that our bishop has allowed me to enter into senior status as a part-time minister to priests, a member of our diocesan clergy, consecrated life and vocations ministry team, and as a papalappointed Missionary of Mercy . Over the course of my life and ministry since June 10, 1978, I am grateful to have had the gift to learn about and practice the charism of spiritual direction/ accompaniment which can be defined in this way: One Christian helping another Christian pay attention to God’s personal communication, so that, one can respond to God’s personal communication, grow in intimacy with God and live out the consequences of that relationship

Q. That sounds so very interesting, like a "life in Christ as an intentional disciple"

A. That is saying a lot, every person is unique with their own sacred story But who is there to help us pay attention and respond? Imagine what we can share together — an intentional life in Christ lived in the dynamic sacramental community of the Catholic Church over four quarters of life! What a witness we could be for the younger spiritual pilgrim brothers and sisters and for each other because the journey is not easy.

As I try to live in the present moment as a hopeful courageous Christian man imperfect in many ways, I find my source for graceful living in this fourth quarter of life in these words of St . Paul to the Romans 5;1-5:

"Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access [by faith] to this grace in which we stand, and we boast in hope of the glory of God Not only that, but we even boast of our afflictions, knowing that affliction produces endurance, and endurance, proven character, and proven character, hope, and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us "

ABOUT MISSIONARIES OF MERCY

Missionaries of Mercy are priests who have been commissioned by the Holy Father to give particular emphasis to the duty shared by all priests to “hear confessions and preach on behalf of and promote the Sacrament of Reconciliation ” They are to be an intentional, visible expression of the mercy of God, which is at the heart of the priesthood and all of Catholic life .