Father Reynolds retires from Sacred Heart in Newton

Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Newton has bid farewell to its pastor of 12 years.

Father William Reynolds was first ordained at his home parish in 1981 of St. Mary Church in Oxford. His journey to priesthood began in a different way. Reynolds attended college and started his life as a teacher. During that time, the calling to priesthood grew stronger..

“When the thought of priesthood kept coming back to me with greater frequency and greater intensity,” Reynolds said, “I said, ‘well I guess it’s time to see if this other thing is what God is calling me to do.’”

He needed to make a decision whether to pursue the call or let it go. With the call to serve God remaining strong, he felt it was time to move in a different direction.

“I resigned my teaching position and went to seminary,” Reynolds said.

In 2008, Reynolds came to Newton and has served as the pastor of Sacred Heart Church ever since.

During his time in the priesthood, Reynolds has taken part in many activities and attained various titles. One of those titles includes Vice-President of the Apostleship of the Sea of the United States of America. This has Reynolds vetting, recruiting and training priests to serve as chaplains on cruise ships. Reynolds has also served as a priest on cruise ships various times.

“It has been a grand opportunity for me to travel. I have traveled a lot in Europe, the United States ... I have done five transatlantic crossings,” Reynolds said.

Since 1981, Reynolds has had many opportunities to serve families in the various times of need and also their times of joy including marriages and weddings and other joyous occasions as well. Reynolds has felt blessed to serve people in the sad times, as well.

“I think I have been particularly blessed to serve people at time of death and funerals,” Reynolds said.

In his 12 years at Sacred Heart, Reynolds has of course enjoyed the people and has felt blessed to have been there. With his time at the parish is over, he is going to miss the regular contact with the people. Reynolds did have plans to travel but with the coronavirus pandemic it has made that difficult.

“I was hoping very much to do a lot of cruising and working,” he said. “I had a three-month assignment that’s not going to happen now.”

In retirement, Reynolds plans on staying in Newton but he also plans to continue his ventures in sea chaplaincy. Until the pandemic subsides, the likelihood of that happening as planned is still unsure.

“Until we get back to cruising and I know it’s safe I probably will not be doing it for a while. I really hope to get back to that and doing it quite frequently,” Reynolds said.

Contact Dustin Teays at 641-792-3121 ext. 6533 or dteays@newtondailynews.com