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Former longtime pastor of Golden parish Father John Wind dies at 70
By Roxanne King
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Father John Francis Wind |
After a long illness, retired priest Father John Francis Wind died Sept. 15. He was 70 and had been a priest for 44 years.
He was born March 13, 1941, in Colorado Springs to Frank and Mildred Wind. After attending Manitou Grade School and St. Mary’s Grade and High schools in his hometown, he entered St. Thomas Seminary in Denver. He was ordained to the priesthood on May 27, 1967, by Archbishop James Casey.
As homilist for Father Wind’s Sept. 23 funeral Mass, Father Edward Poehlmann recalled his friend from their seminary days.
“John was a lot of fun,” he said. “He had an enormous laugh. If you told him a joke you knew you would get an enormous reaction.”
Outgoing and friendly, Father Wind enjoyed playing hockey and tennis and was a fan of the Colorado Avalanche and the Colorado Rockies.
“He also loved league bowling and we did that for several years,” Father Poehlmann told the Denver Catholic Register. “His greatest passion became tennis. He would play with any of the priests and others as well.”
Father Wind served as assistant pastor at the parishes of St. Anne in Grand Lake, Christ the King in Evergreen and St. Mary in Littleton. Denver parishes where he ministered as assistant pastor were Presentation of Our Lady, St. Francis de Sales, St. Catherine of Siena and Holy Family. He also served as chaplain at St. Francis de Sales and Holy Family high schools and taught theology.
“Father John loved to teach religion to the high-schoolers,” Father Poehlmann said, adding later that he also “had a great gift for preaching.”
Father Wind ministered a dozen years as pastor at St. Joseph Parish in Golden and during his tenure there marked his 25th jubilee as a priest and celebrated the parish’s 125th anniversary.
Ill the last 11 years of his life, a passage from the 11th chapter of St. Mathew’s Gospel for Father Wind’s funeral Mass was particularly fitting, Father Poehlmann told the congregation.
“Come to me all you who are weary and find life burdensome and I will refresh you. … Your souls will find rest for my yoke is easy and my burden light,” he read.
Father Poehlmann said the Marian feast Father Wind died on was also significant.
“John had the privilege of leaving us on the feast of Our Lady of Sorrows,” he said. “I am sure that he identified with the Mother of Sorrows.”
Father Wind is survived by his mother and his eight siblings—four brothers and four sisters—and numerous nieces and nephews.
A vigil and rosary service was held Sept. 22 at St. Joseph Church in Golden. A funeral Mass was celebrated the next day at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Denver. Interment followed at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Wheat Ridge.
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