Father James Williams (second from right), priest for St. Ignatius Loyola Church in St. Ignace and Immaculate Conception in Moran, retired Sunday, May 27. For his last Mass in St. Ignace as Parish pastor, he was joined by (from left) Father Rey Garcia, SJ, pastor of Ste. Anne's on Mackinac Island, Brother James Boynton, SJ, summer program helper at Ste. Anne's and the vocation director for the Jesuits Detroit Province, and Deacons Donald Olmstead and Thomas McClelland, both of St. Ignatius. St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church in St. Ignace was filled to overflowing Sunday, May 27, as parishioners gathered to commemorate the retirement of Father James Williams, who has been their pastor for the last two years. He also served as parish priest for Immaculate Conception in Moran.

Retiring after 37 years of priesthood, Fr. Williams often has been described as a "people person," a skilled speaker who was known for his unrehearsed prayers.

"He could come up with a prayer at any occasion, any time, and it was always very meaningful," said Deacon Don Olmstead.

Deacon Tom McClelland agrees.

"He touched people by his personal, spontaneous prayers," he said. "They were very spiritual and very pertinent to the reality that is a part of people's lives."

Fr. Williams, who will turn 66 years old in November, often quoted poets W.H. Auden, William Yates, and T.S. Eliot in his homilies and always passed up using the lectern in favor of offering his message from the center aisle.

Rather than give a final homily Sunday, he asked his good friend, Brother James Boynton, to give the message. The two men worked together at Ste. Anne's Church on Mackinac Island for 12 years. In fact, in Ste. Anne's 337-year history, Fr. Williams is the third-longest serving priest, having been there 15 years.

After running the Memorial Bridge Run across the Mackinac Bridge the day before, Br. Boynton presented Fr. Williams with his race T-shirt and medal.

"He is the best priest I know," Br. Boynton told parishioners.

Fr. Williams' style as a pastor was to empower others to do things for the community, Deacon McClelland said, and he encouraged parishioners to take on leadership roles.

"He is very generous with praise to people who do these things to go out and help others," he said.

"All things are possible in this parish," Fr. Williams said. "I loved it here."

After Sunday's service and during a potluck dinner in the parish hall, Fr. Williams was recognized for establishing two local organizations, Narcotics Anonymous and Gamblers Anonymous.

"You've challenged us," said Deacon McClelland. "You've worked hard to get us to move our faith from our heads to our hearts."

"He's been a great teacher," said Deacon Olmstead. "One of the things I admire about him is that I could always call on him. He was never any further away than my telephone."

Fr. Williams said he considered delaying his retirement, although something told him it was time to retire.

"I'm not retiring because I am not happy here. You are great people, a great parish," he said. "There is something, I can't even verbalize it, there is something that tells me that this is the time for me to do this."

He said he had a great day on Mackinac Island Saturday, having two private meetings, one with Governor Jennifer Granholm and a second with Bishop Alexander Sample.

He told both of them that next Sunday he plans to sleep in, have a leisurely cup of coffee, and watch the political television show, "Meet The Press."

He and Bishop Sample have discussed the future and he said that after a period of time, if the parish asks him to come back to help, he would.

"I will disappear from the parish for awhile. It is an old Jesuit tradition," he said, "so you can let go of me."

Fr. Williams said he would like to leave his parishioners with the message that they can face the challenges of life, and they should not be faced alone.

"God always surprises us, he startles us," said Fr. Williams. "When he enters our life, he always does it in unexpected ways. So, the first impulse is to say, 'Where is God?' because it is not what we expect. But if you have faith, if you continue to listen, you'll discover that he is there. Generally he is there in the form of a cross.

"Then the message is what Jesus said, 'All things work to the good for those who love the Lord.' And that means, don't run from whatever the issue is, be quiet, be still, and you'll discover that no matter what, all is well.

"There is nothing that comes your way that you can't handle with God, if you understand that he probably is going to overturn your apple cart. It's because he's going to lead you in places where you couldn't think of yourself, and you might not go," he said. "Then, if you go along with him, then all is well.

"The main problem people have in understanding the cross is they always say God never gave you a cross too big you can't carry," said Fr. Williams. "The meaning of every cross is that it is always too big to carry by yourself. Every cross means you have to turn to the spirit of God and to other people, not just you. When you do that, that's when you discover He's with you."

Fr. Williams, a resident of Mackinaw City, was graduated from the University of Michigan, where he studied history, literature, and philosophy. He grew up in the Methodist faith and was converted to Catholicism by the late Fr. Bill McGee, whom he met after working on Isle Royale for a summer. After college, he taught English for a year in Sault Ste. Marie.

In the 1960s, Fr. Williams worked with inner city poor people in Detroit, New York, and in Mexico.

He was ordained in 1970 on the Indian reservation at St. Kateri Tekakwitha's Mission near Bay Mills.

"I was the first person to be ordained outside the cathedral in 100 years," he said. "I was ordained right on the reservation."

For seven years, he worked on the reservation in Bay Mills during the week. To earn a salary, he said early Sunday Mass at St. Ignatius.

He then served in Hannahville, west of Escanaba, where he provided a foster home for 12 boys, often referring to them in his homilies. From there he went to Grand Marais before entering the U.S. Navy, where he served as chaplain for four years. He then served in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he was a battle group chaplain for six years. He is a member of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars.

He was a pastor at St. Gregory's in Newberry and then at Ste. Anne's on Mackinac Island before coming to St. Ignace to help his close friend, the late Fr. Mike Rhoades, when he was diagnosed with cancer.

In retirement he plans to remain active in the community, he told parishioners. He is a member of the Drug Court, the Straits Health Care Enterprise Fund, which is the foundation board for the new Mackinac Straits Hospital, and the Mackinac Island State Park Commission. He is writing two books, one, of poetry, is almost is finished, he said.

"One thing about the priesthood for me is it has given me about four different lifetimes," said Fr. Williams. "I was able to raise children. I was able to go into the military. I was able to work with different minority groups. It afforded me a variety of things I couldn't have done any other way. It's been a real adventure."