Six priests of the Davenport Diocese are celebrating significant milestones of 25 years or more in ordained priesthood. Father William Meyer will celebrate his 65th anniversary; Msgr. James Burnett, Father Brian Miclot and Father Robert Shortall will celebrate their 40th anniversaries, and Father Thomas Parlette and Father Joseph Roost will celebrate their 25th anniversaries.
Fr. Meyer, 88, a native of Davenport, was ordained May 26, 1949, by Bishop Edward Fitzgerald, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Dubuque, in Dubuque. Fr. Meyer served as an assistant at St. Mary in Iowa City and St. Paul the Apostle in Davenport. His assignments through the years as pastor were at St. James in Toronto, St. Patrick in Big Rock, St. Mary in Muscatine, St. Malachy in Ardon, Our Lady of Victory in Davenport and St. Mary in Mechanicsville. He retired in 1999.
On May 26, Fr. Meyer will celebrate a Mass at 1:30 p.m. at Our Lady of Victory Church. A reception will follow in the parish center until 4 p.m. All are invited; no gifts please.
Msgr. Burnett, 68, a native of Lost Nation, was ordained by Bishop Gerald O’Keefe on Jan. 24, 1974, at Sacred Heart Church in Lost Nation. Msgr. Burnett served as associate pastor at St. Paul in Burlington, substitute chaplain at University Hospitals in Iowa City and completed his clinical pastoral education program at Mercy Hospital in Des Moines, Iowa. He then served as chaplain at Mercy Hospital in Iowa City, pastor of St. Mary in Dodgeville and St. Mary in Wapello, was a military chaplain in the U.S. Air Force, and retired Jan. 31 from his position as a chaplain for the Veteran’s Administration after 16 years.
Fr. Miclot, 66, grew up in Davenport and was ordained May 31, 1974, at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Davenport by Bishop O’Keefe. Fr. Miclot was an assistant pastor at St. Patrick in Clinton and St. Thomas More in Iowa City, administrator at St. Bridget in Nolan Settlement and St. Bernadette in West Branch. After earning his PhD from Notre Dame University, Fr. Miclot has been serving on faculty at St. Ambrose University since 1993. He will celebrate Mass on May 31 at 5 p.m. at St. Anthony Church in Davenport.
Fr. Shortall, 69, was born in New York City and ordained Dec. 27, 1974, by Bishop O’Keefe at Holy Family Church in Davenport. Fr. Shortall was an associate pastor at St. Mary in Fort Madison, St. Patrick in Ottumwa and St. Mary in Eddyville. He is retired.
Fr. Parlette, 67, grew up in Michigan and was ordained to the priesthood on June 23, 1989, by Bishop O’Keefe at Our Lady of Lourdes in Bettendorf. He served as parochial vicar at All Saints in Keokuk, Prince of Peace in Clinton, St. John the Baptist in Burlington, St. Patrick in Burlington, St. Mary in West Burlington, and St. Mary in Dodgeville. He was an instructor at Notre Dame High School in Burlington, and was pastor at St. Anthony in Knoxville, Sacred Heart in Melcher, St. Mary in Pella, Ss. Mary & Joseph in Fort Madison, Sacred Heart in Fort Madison, St. Joseph in Montrose, St. Ann in Long Grove, St. Alphonsus in Davenport and St. Peter in Buffalo. He is retired.
Fr. Roost, 67, a native of Keokuk, was ordained Nov. 25, 1989, at All Saints in Keokuk by Bishop O’Keefe.
Fr. Roost was parochial vicar at St. Mary in Fort Madison and Holy Family in Davenport. He served as pastor of Immaculate Conception in Colfax and Sacred Heart in Valeria. He is currently pastor of St. Patrick in Marengo, St. Mary in Williamsburg and St. Joseph in North English.
