Memorial  Bulletin  Board

Remembering Our Brothers

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MAGDALENE O. OKHIO   (madeleine2002@hotmail.com) - Greensboro, North Carolina...On 1/13/03 at 3:34 PM.
-
As a lay reader at the St. Dominic's Catholic church in the early nineties, I remember Fr. Windbacher as one who was always serious about business. As i read about the last events of his life before he passed, I couldn't help but thank God for the exemplary life he led. He will be greatly missed.

Adieu Papa.

anonymous   () - former dominican tertiary...On 9/27/02 at 10:26 PM.
- I KNEW FR. HUGO WREISNER WHILE WE WERE BOTH WORKING AT ST,
MARYS HOSPITAL IN MADISON, WISCONSIN. WE OFTEN SHARED TIME
TOGETHER SMOKING CIGARETTES, GOD FORGIVE US! WE WOULD TALK OF MANY THINGS...DOMINICAN HISTORY, MUSIC, THE WEATHER,
WHATEVER SUBJECTS CAME UP. I CAN SAY WITHOUT FEAR OF ERROR
THAT HE WAS A GOOD COMPANION, AND MOREOVER A GOOD PRIEST AND DOMINICAN. HE CONCERN WAS ALWAYS FOR THE SICK, PERHAPS
BECAUSE HE HAD SO MUCH EXPERIENCE OF ILLNESS AND THE STIGMA
OFTEN ATTATCHED TO IT, YET HE ALWAYS SEEMED TO MAINTAIN A CHEERFUL DEMEANOR. BY THIS AND HIS PERSERVERANCE THROUGH
MANY TRIALS HE EXEMPLIFIED THE BEST OF DOMINICAN TRAITS.
John Engels   (JWEngels@AOL.COM) - ...On 1/13/02 at 11:45 AM.
- Father was my mothers cousin. They grew up together in Chicago, in fact she helped purchase Father's first chalice. He always was that special family person who was more myth the real,or so it seemed. After attending his memorial service and talking to his friends I now know that he was more real then myth. He is that hero that we all seek to emulate. Rest well my cousin we love you.
Izu Okwegba   (izuokwegba@onebox.com) - ...On 12/28/01 at 8:51 AM.
- Like Elisha who requested of God the power of Elijah on the latter's return to GOD ALMIGHTY, I pray that God gives
me your strength,humility and courage which you exhibited throughout your very inspiring life
Requiescat in pace

Ike Al. Eseka Esq.   (ike-eseka@justice.com) - St. Dominic's Yaba...On 12/12/01 at 4:51 AM.
- Dear Fr. windbacher,

Like Elisha who requested of God the power of Elijah on the latter's return to GOD ALMIGHTY, I pray that God gives
me your strength,humility and courage which you exhibited throughout your very inspiring life

Requiescat in pace

Ike Al.Eseka Esq.

friar patrickmary akunne, OP   (patmop@onebox.com) - Dominican Community, Ibadan, Nigeria...On 12/11/01 at 9:06 PM.
- Baba,
You have fought the good fight so ride on in victory to claim the price for which Jesus Christ came, suffered and died for you.
To forget you is to forget ourselves and our early romances with the ORDER OF PREACHERS in Nigeria and Ghana.
I am grateful you invited me to share in this life.
Rest in eternal peace.
Ikechi Korie, O.P.   (ikechiop@yahoo.com) - Convento de San Esteban, Salamanca, Spain...On 11/25/01 at 4:37 PM.
- Baba Wimbi, I thank God for your life, vocation and ministry. Though you had a late vocation, the Lord gave you a long enough life to serve Him among us. I thank God for giving me the opportunity to know you personally, and to learn certain things from your life. You left us a very good example of a Dominican friar with your constancy in community activities, a great challenge to some of us younger generation friars of our Province.

I thought we would meet again for me to learn a little more from you before your journey HOME, but it has pleased the good Lord to call you back to Himself at this time. Bendito sea el nombre del Señor, Asi sea! I really miss you Baba!

Baba, as you now sit between St. Dominic and the Lord Jesus in radiant glory, please remember us poor little ones here, still struggling with the burden of our fallen human nature and the demands of our vowed lives. Pray for us to join all of you, the glorious, when our own time comes.

Ikechi, O.P.

chiomanjoku   (chiomanjoku@yahoo.com) - unilag student/st dominics yaba...On 11/22/01 at 3:53 AM.
- i loved father Windbacher and i wish his soul eternal rest. he baptised my kid sister in 1983. May his soul rest in peace. amen
Atsu James   (apuyeatsu@yahoo.com) - Parishioner of St. Dominics...On 11/20/01 at 1:08 PM.
- I became a parishioner at st. Dominics about 20 years ago,and have known Father Winbacher for that long though i never had a close contact with him.My family and i loved him and were always talking about him, every sunday i looked forward to seeing and listening to him preach.I admire his strenght he was very strong till death.He was a very nice man.I pray that we'll have an opportunity to see him again.

A holy man as he was,it is our prayer that the lord grants him eternal rest.

MARY ATSU   (bende_1999@yahoo.com) - PARISHIONER OF ST.DOMINICS YABA...On 11/19/01 at 6:18 AM.
- OUR FATHER AMBROSE WINDBACHER WAS THE GRAND FATHER OF THE PARISH.I REMEMBER THE FEW TIMES I MADE CONFESSIONS TO HIM,HE WAS UP AND DOING UNTIL DEATH CAME KNOCKING ,ALWAYS SEEN MOVING AROUND THE CHURCH PREMISES.HIS HOMILIES WERE WONDERFUL.AS WE PREPARE FOR THE FEAST OF CHRIST THE KING,IT REMINDS ME MORE OF HIM AS HE'S USUALLY PART OF THE PROCESSION NOT MINDING HIS AGE.WE'LL MISS YOU DAERLY BUT THE THING S YOU THOUGHT US WILL HELP US GROW SPIRITUALLY.

WE LOVE YOU FATHER AS YOU SLEEP ON{AMEN}.

Uzomah Nwagu   (uzomah@worldemail.com) - Yaba...On 11/18/01 at 1:54 PM.
- Friends and brothers in Christ,as we celebrate the life of Fr.Windbacher,let us remember to do it as he would love us to do it;And that is with hope knowing that he has joined the saints. I know if it were possible for him to preach at his funeral, he would have enjoined us to celebrate with him his 'birth' into eternal life. We will all miss him no doubt especially readers of 'The weekly Independent';Never-the-less let us be consoled by the fact that we shall see him again in our Father's Kingdom. May his soul and the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace AMEN.
Uzomah Nwagu   () - ...On 11/18/01 at 1:38 PM.
Uzomah Nwagu   () - ...On 11/18/01 at 1:38 PM.
Sister Cornelia Bock OP   (srbockop@netscape.net) - Great Bend, KS...On 11/11/01 at 11:35 AM.
- Father Ambrose was a dear man. When we came from the North to Lagos, we always received a warm welcome. I know that he will be missed by all whose lives he touched. May he rest in peace.
Sister Lillian Gehlenop   (gehlenop@netscape.net) - Great Bend Dominicans...On 11/10/01 at 6:45 PM.
- Indeed Nigeria and the world has lost a great dominican but I am sure like Dominic he will spend his time in heaven doing good on earth.
I appreciated the fact that Fr. Ambrose brought his Sister to Nigeria and she was able to spend time with us at the convent in Gusau.
May he and all souls rest in peace.
Sister Lillian Gehlen OP
udaya ugochukwu   () - ...On 11/5/01 at 9:23 AM.
Benedict and Terry Odigboh   (uzoo@onebox.com) - St. Dominics Church Yaba...On 11/1/01 at 3:31 PM.
- Dear friends of Papa.

It had been our privilege (mine especially) and of great reward to us all at the Yaba Dominican family to have known Papa Windbacher.
I have known Papa Windbacher for forty years and had closely associated with him for thirty years.
Papa Windbacha (as friends fondly called him) was one who made everyone feel special. He would walk the length and breath of the pews just to say hello. What better way to show love.
It became routine for Papa to communicate to us whenever he was in his hometown Chicago (one that he loved so dearly).
This time around he did not do so. We wrote to him and receiving no reply, we sent an e-mail which stood unreplied. We naturally became worried and went over to the priory where we got informed of his ill health. We became even more worried because by that time we had missed seeing him so very much.
Our fears were finally confirmed when a call came with the sad news that our beloved Papa had passed on.

He had been a spiritual guide to many and a personal counsellor to us. Papa talked to me about the essence and need for him to consider joining the order of knighthood (of Saint Mulumba). This and more lead to my increased interest in this direction. Through his support and encouragement I eventually joined the Order.

What can we say but to hold on to the memories of his teachings and the souvenirs he gave to us in the form of Scriptural books (that are quite a hand full).
He will be truly missed.
.

stephen lucas, o.p.    (stephenop@yahoo.com) - yaba, lagos...On 10/28/01 at 12:16 AM.
- 28th October 2001

Brothers, Sisters and Friends of Ambrose,

I am the lucky one. Ambrose and I have lived together for 44 years, 42 years in Yaba and 2 years in Dubuque. In May of 1954 I attended his ordination at Loras College Auditorium in Dubuque. At that time how could I ever imagine that we would be working and living together for so many years.

Ambrose was like a father to me. We spent so much time together, we knew each others stories, pains and jokes and we shared our families. We prayed together and laughed together, and sometimes we were very sad together too. In the evenings while watching TV or during our evening meal we would try to solve all the problems of the Province and the world. More than once, when I was about to express myself he said, Stephen, don’t say it, I know what your going to say anyway. In return, after he told one of his famous jokes, I would say, Ambrose, you told me that joke 10 years ago.

My senior brother, as the Africans say, made great impressions, not only on people his own age, but young, sometimes very young people. He loved having his picture taken with children, often times he would show us pictures taken with a young person five years ago, and the same person 10 years before that and even 20 years before. While on leave in Chicago Ambrose had a practice of writing letters to friends in Nigeria he knew well, telling them what he was doing, on his printed letter there were pictures of Chicago, his sister Midge and Cephas, o.p. Ambrose loved his hometown, Chicago. After the first stroke people here wondered why he had not written as before, some of his friends would send him express mail or email, but there was no response.

There is no doubt that Ambrose was a holy man. He lived an exemplary life and influenced our African Brothers along with our American Brothers too. We will miss his example, his advice, his concern and the loved he shared with all of us. Being the lucky one I will miss him most.

Stephen Lucas, o.p.

Cletus Nwabuzo   (nwabuzoc@hotmail.com) - St Dominic Priory, Yaba, Lagos....On 10/26/01 at 12:14 PM.
- I am very grateful to all who helped Fr Ambrose Windbacher during his last days and helped in the transferal of his body to us in Nigeria. His reach remained undiminished even in death. I was amazed at the number of people who wanted to be at the airport but were told not to come because there was not going to be any great ceremony. May God bless and grant him eternal rest.
FELIX ONEMHEGHIE, OP   (felixop@yahoo.co.uk) - ST. MARTIN DE PORRES COMMUNITY, AGBOR-OBI. NIGERIA....On 10/10/01 at 12:55 AM.
- =Hey, we are here dealing with a saint.
my first encounter with fr. Amby (as we called him) was before I got into the Dominican Order. I had gone to him to complain that I had not gotten reply to my application. After sitting me down with few questioning he asked me to go back and and write another application. This I did and when I got to him right there and then, he gave me the necessary documents to fill. That started my journey to the Dominican Order.

=When I was posted to my first community I met fr. Amby again we lived together for a period of two years. There I had lots and lots of saintly experiences with Amby. In one of such encounters, I went to Amby to ask that he help to dub a cassettee for me. With the understanding that I would later bring the empty I left his room. After serving my siesta, on stepping to the corridor, behold there was brand new cassettee by my door.

=I always addressed Amby "VENERABLE." And when I was transfered to my present community, he said hey, "no one would call me Venerable any longer. And that was it. But each time I visited his community at Yaba, he would say, "there goes Felix, call me venerable!"

=Now I think it would be very pertinent to know that 'Venerable's remains has to be brought back to Nigeria. Where he lived for over forty years. The Parishioners will not forgive the Dominicans if we fail in this. So pray that we have our brother back. We would like to bury him with all our sentiments about him. And of course he deserves it.

OUR PRAYER IS THAT HIS SOUL AND THE SOUL OF THE FAITHFUL DEPARTED THROUGH THE MERCY OF GOD REST IN PEACE. AMEN.

Michael Monshau   (Mmonshau@dspt.edu) - Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology, Berkeley, CA...On 9/19/01 at 12:54 PM.
- The news of Hugo's death has saddened me. I lived with Hugo twice in my early Dominican life and in both instances I was touched by his love for the brotherhood of our Province.

Hugo re-entered the Order as I was nearing the end of my years at the Studiuum in St. Louis. It was immediately apparent to us younger friars that Hugo's return was simply the homecoming of a much beloved brother whose absence had never been expected to last forever.

Hugo and I were ordained on the same day. Since we were ordained in alphabetical order, Wreisner was ordained about two minutes after Monshau. For our first assignments after ordination, the two of us were chosen by the Provincial to open a new house for the Province in Fargo, North Dakota. Hugo was to be the Catholic chaplain for the various hospitals in Fargo and I was to be director of the diocesan retreat center. We shared many a laugh at being sent so far away just as we were leaving the Studium. Apparently the bishop had asked for friars and therefore had agreed to accept whomever the Provincial sent. Therefore, when we arrived in Fargo and were introduced to the bishop, he was not interviewing us, but receiving us. He turned toward me first and eventually asked how long I had been ordained. I responded "About a week, Bishop." The bishop was clearly disconcerted to learn that a newly-ordained priest had been assigned to assume the direction of his diocesan retreat house. The bishop then turned to Hugo (who was obviously senior to my 36 years), expecting a bit more experience, and continued, "And you Father Hugo, how long have you been ordained?" Hugo's face beamed mischievously as he responded gleefully, "About two minutes less than Father Michael!"

The memory of that playful incident always brings Hugo's joyful spirit to my mind, but perhaps most of all, I recall his love for the brotherhood of our Province. Living with Hugo was a wonderful opportunity for someone like myself who entered the Order after the Winona, Dubuque and River Forest-Studium days had ended, and after the brothers who went South had already departed, to become ever-more deeply immersed in our Chicago Province brotherhood. God bless Hugo for that and for all the other gifts he brought to us.

Walter O'Connell   (domtom@enteract.com) - River Forest...On 9/14/01 at 8:47 AM.
Psalm 132:14 "This is my rest for ever;
      here will I dwell, for I have chosen it."

- Fifty-one years ago Hugo and I entered the Dominican Novitiate in Winona, Minnesota; since then the world has turned upside down. His was a long and difficult road to ordination. He suffered from a slight case of epilepsy and Canon Law at the time kept him from ordination. He finished his studies with us, one year novitiate, three years philosophy, and four years theology.

After his studies he worked as secretary to the Dominican Provincial in our House of Studies. At some point he decided to do more to contribute to the order, so he got a job as an entertainer in nightclubs -- he was a talented musician and singer.

After Vatican II the physical requirements for the priesthood were somewhat eased and he returned to the order, studying for several years at our seminary in St. Louis, MO, and then was ordained to the priesthood. Following ordination he held various jobs at Fargo, Albuquerque, Madison, and River Forest.

All these things tel us something about the man. Now I would like to tell you something about the person.

Hugo had a bubbly, infectious personality that made him a delight to be around. He had a near perfect photographic memory; he could leave a class and repeat large parts of what the professor had said (in Latin, mind you) complete with any peculiar mannerisms. He was a musical genius. When we had a movie he would pick out the melody the next day, and, in a day or so, would play the entire song, complete with words, plus the many songs he already knew.

Lastly, he was a superb comic. Our recreation was often the scene of his antics. Among his favorite impersonations were Judy Garland, Betty Davis, English royalty, a french waiter (in French of course) and Sister Mary Holywater. He would life this capuce over his head like a sister's veil and proceed to hold court. I often laughed so hard that my sides hurt. In short he was a delight in any community.

On the priestly side he loved being a Dominican priest; he often remarked that he loved to preach and say Mass.

Recent years afflicted him with diabetes and accompanying health problems. Two nights before he died I was sitting up with him and he was sleeping fitfully. At one point he turned to me and said: "Walter, I feel so loved," then he turned over and went back to sleep. What a beautiful expression of fraternal love. What a beautiful expression of our Dominican Constitutions. Every Friday we used to read the Rule of St. Augustine, the basis of our Dominican Constitutions. The first few sentences sum it up:
"Before all things, most dear brothers, we must love God and after Him our neighbor; for these are the principal commands which have been given to us: that you dwell together in unity and in the house be of one mind and one heart in god, remembering that this is the end for which you are gathered here."

Hugh Wreisner was my friend, my brother in St. Dominic, and I loved him....he will be sorely missed.

May Jesus Christ welcome him into the land of the living, wipe away every tear from his eyes, and grant him everlasting rest.

In my Father's house there are many mansions"..."Come, Hugo, enter my father's house."

[Note: This sermon was never given publicly, but I did read it to him quietly, the night he lay in state.]
---Rev. Walter O'Connell, O.P.

Albert Judy   (aljudyop@theramp.net) - RF...On 9/10/01 at 3:12 PM.
- As a student I can remember the summmer at camp when Hugo and Paul Ryan would sit side by side at the piano in the boat-house rec room and work their way through their favorite Broadway shows, playing and singing without missing a lyric. I was blown away by their joy and delight.

May Hugo's joy be full and final. I'll miss him.
Albert


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