Fr. Walding to retire

By Julie Keane, Globe staff reporter
June 10, 2004

Although Father Eugene Walding will retire on July 13 after serving for 38 years as a diocesan priest, he said he is planning to continue living out his vocation to God and taking more time for his number one hobby - studying the Carmelite saints.

"I plan to, more or less, have the continuation of what I have done in this environment and in these circumstances - carrying out the vocation and carrying out the good news," Father Walding said.

The Sioux City native said preaching the good news is one of his greatest joys of priesthood, along with talking to people about Jesus Christ and socializing with parishioners.

Father Walding began his vocation on June 4, 1966 when he was ordained by Bishop Joseph M. Mueller at the Cathedral of Epiphany in Sioux City. He said looking back he cannot remember one instance in his life where he knew he wanted to be a priest.

"It was something that just happened," Father Walding said. "I can not recall any desire (to be a priest) when I was a teenager. A lot of my priest friends can remember when they were in fifth and sixth grade they were attracted to the priesthood. I didn't experience that."

However, he said he does remember his desire when he was younger to have a better relationship with God. He saw his vocation as the way to obtain that viable relationship.

When Father Walding was about 25 or 26 he said he started to think about entering into the vocation. Ever since then, Father Walding said he has spent his life trying to achieve that stronger relationship with God.

Father Walding noted that he has learned a lot over the years in his vocation. He said he has learned how to be a good conversationalist and to have tolerance for the differences that people have in their approach to the spiritual life.

"People have different ways of being attracted to God," Father Walding said. "That is something you have to tolerate. It is not something you can be opinionated about and tell them this is the way to go."

Throughout his life as a priest, Father Walding said he has had many challenges that he has had to overcome.

"The greatest challenge is being comfortable with preaching, organizing and using correct vocabulary and grammar," Father Walding said. "And being able to preach from the standpoint where my eyes were not attached to a piece of paper. I usually don't write my sermons - I have only wrote about two sermons. The rest are just conversations. I just preached, which goes back to the personal relationship with God. When you talk to a person you are in love with, you don't sit down and write a letter to them. You just say what is on your mind."

That loving relationship with God has led Father Walding to many different parishes throughout the diocese and to his retirement at Holy Spirit Retirement Home in Sioux City. At the retirement home, Father Walding said he plans to celebrate Mass again as soon as his hip is healed after fracturing it on April 25. For now, he is offering Mass with priests at the retirement home in the chapel. Father Walding added that he had just finished concelebrating Mass with Bishop Soens.

Father Walding will be 72 when he officially retires in July. He said he has many great memories of his vocation.

"I suppose my best memory is my own relationship with God and sharing that experience with people," he said.