Rev. William A. Mesmer has passed away at the age of 83. He served the Diocese of Syracuse as a priest for 56 years.
Born in Syracuse to William and Doris (Wahl) Mesmer in 1941, his family were communicants of St. John the Baptist Parish and he graduated from St. John the Baptist High School. He studied at St. Andrew Seminary in Rochester and Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora, leading to ordination in 1968.
Fr. Mesmer served as an assistant at St. Mary (Cleveland), Holy Family (Fairmount), Holy Family (Fulton), St. Matthew (E. Syracuse), St. Vincent de Paul (Syracuse), and Blessed Sacrament (Syracuse) before being named associate pastor of Sacred Heart Church in Cicero in 1985. In 1987 he was named pastor of Christ the King in Liverpool. He would go on to serve as pastor of Blessed Sacrament (Utica), St. Patrick (Oneida) and finally St. Helena in Sherrill including the eventual linkage with Holy Family Church in Vernon. He retired from active service in 2020.
Fr. Mesmer celebrated his 50th jubilee in 2018. He told The Catholic Sun via email then that “I have never been happier in my life, than these last sixteen years as pastor of St. Helena and Holy Family parishes.” Looking back to his ordination, he shared “There was never a single doubt or hesitation in my life, that the Holy Spirit was calling me to serve God’s people, the Church, as a priest. There has never been a day when I did not thank God for calling me to serve as a priest.”
Services are scheduled for St. Helena Church in Sherrill. Calling hours will be held Tuesday, December 17 from 5 to 7pm followed by the Vigil for a Priest. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Bishop Douglas J. Lucia on Wednesday, December 18 at 10:30am.
St. Helena Church is located at 202 Primo Ave., Sherrill, N.Y. (13461).
