Edmonton's Father Bill
September 7, 2004
By Cam Tait
He was sitting in the kitchen with a cigarette in his hand. He coughed,
painfully, and then doubled over. In a barely audible whisper, he said:
"Please, let me die."
He straightened his chair, trying to gather himself. He looked down the hallway of the duplex with eyes that had seen so much. "At least I feel home here. And that means I can die at home." A few months later he passed away.
That memory of the interview I did over a decade ago is with me every day. But its echo never bounced louder than it did this past week.
The man with the cigarette and horrible cough had a name: Gary. He was
HIV positive and was living with AIDS. Rather than living on the street,
and possibly being ignored because of a disease the public shunned,
he was living in a tastefully furnished home - with cooked meals and
medical attention - all thanks to Father Bill.
Father Bill Irwin cared about people. All people. He was ordained as
a priest in 1952, but he made his impact was felt more behind a desk
and in the trenches, rather than standing at the pulpit. He was known,
simply, as Father Bill. He started Catholic Social Services (CSS) in
the 1960s. The agency grew with time and soon Father Bill had more than
100 programs and a $50 million-plus budget. Father Bill called the shots
with a steadfast belief that people of all shapes, sizes, and religions
found themselves in situations where they needed help. And they were
going to get that help...but not without controversy.
When Father Bill announced that CSS was funding a residence for people
living with HIV it drew public comment, mostly negative. In fact, he
asked that the address of the duplex not be written in any publication
to prevent any possible protests. When news crews arrived, so did Father
Bill - dressed in his usual freshly pressed suit, pale blue shirt, and
red tie - to make sure everything was done in taste and compassion.
Father Bill seemed to thrive on making statements. Catholic Social Services
was a member agency of the Edmonton area United Way. In the mid-1980s
the United Way decided to fund Planned Parenthood, an agency that counselled
people on parenthood. Planned Parenthood said it did not promote abortion;
yet, Father Bill said just the notion of abortion went against his principles.
So he pulled out of the United Way, walking away from a few hundred
thousand dollars annually in funding. It made front-page news in Edmonton
for days.
Despite the critics, the unrest caused in the fundraising community,
and the potential of losing tens of thousands of dollars - money which
was a guaranteed deposit - Father Bill said he was starting up his own
fundraising campaign. It would go head-to-head against the annual United
Way campaign.
He was successful. The new campaign has always - including last year
- raised more than its goal. Father Bill's accomplishments were recognized
internationally. He was named to the Order of Canada and was the recipient
of many other honours.
Yet, he was visibly uncomfortable with praise. He just worked, he said,
so people would be cared for - people like Gary. Father Bill's legacy
is something we can all draw from. Last Sunday, after a long but dignified
struggle with Parkinson's disease, Father Bill passed away at 76.
Do you know someone who deserves to be in the Charity Village Spotlight? Send us their name, telephone number and details about their community involvement to cam@charityvillage.com.
