Reverend Monsignor William Manger

Reverend Monsignor William Manger, ordained June 2, 1962.

Funeral Liturgies for Reverend Monsignor William Manger, Jr.

Friday, August 6, 2021

12:00 Noon Reception of the body St. Anne Catholic Church, 2715 Calder Avenue, Beaumont

4:30 pm Rosary led by the Ladies of St. Anne

5:30 pm Wake Service

6:30 pm Mass for the Dead

Saturday, August 7, 2021

11:00 am Mass of Christian Burial, St. Anne Catholic Church

His Committal will follow at Magnolia Cemetery, Beaumont, Texas.

William Frederick Manger, Jr., was born in East Orange, New Jersey, on January 29, 1934, 87 years ago, to William Manger, Sr., and Lillian Marsh Manger, both of whom preceded him in death. He died August 2, 2021. Growing up in New Jersey, he became lifelong friends with a guy across the street, John Greco. This family with 12 children was a wonderful influence on Bill.

The Manger family with their two daughters moved to Houston in 1952 a year after Bill became a student at Rice Institute. During his time at Rice, Bill was editor of the yearbook, the Campanile. He graduated from there with a bachelor’s degree in Physics. While he was attending Rice, he heard a talk at the Rice Neuman Center given by Father Joseph Crosthwait who, after the talk, had a conversation with Bill. As Father Crosthwait was driving home, he made a U-turn. He went back to tell Bill that he needed to go to the seminary.

Bill took Father Crosthwait’s words to heart and entered St. Mary’s Seminary where he daily passed the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He prayed for Mary to tell him if he was not called to be a priest. He received his answer. On June 2, 1962, Bishop Wendelin J. Nold ordained him for the Diocese of Galveston-Houston. His greatest joy was celebrating Mass, doing pastoral work, and encouraging others in the service of God and church.

Msgr. Manger is survived by his two sisters and their families. His sister Edna Fraser and husband Deacon Ron Fraser, with children Mary, Anne, Kyrn, Susan, Ron Jr, Dennis, Bernadette, Christina and Patrick. His sister, Margaret Terrasson and children, Daniel, Brigitte, Colette and Edward. It was Dr. Edward Terrasson and his wife Dr. Jennifer Kwak who opened their home to Mgsr. Manger to spend his last days in Hospice.

The family is grateful to them and to all his many faithful friends especially John Greco, Bill’s New Jersey family, his St. Anne parish family, for all the school children he loved to celebrate Mass with, for the support and friendship of his fellow priests, especially Father Michael Jamail, Bishop Curtis Guillory and Bishop David Toups.

During his priesthood Msgr. Manger led a life of ministry and service.

“As long as I’ve thought about what I wanted to do with my life, it’s always involved service,” Msgr. Manger said in an interview in 2013. And in those six decades in between his ordination and his death, Msgr. Manger’s ministry was service – to the pre-born, to the dying, to the immigrant, to those looking to deepen their faith lives and more – especially those in the parishes he served and the schoolchildren.

When the Diocese began in 1966, young Father Manger was named the first diocesan director of Family Life. This was followed by his ministry to college students as the Diocesan Director of Newman Apostolate. But this beginning was only part of his service to Southeast Texas.

The mid-1970s saw service on a community-wide scale and highlighted Msgr. Manger’s belief in the sanctity of all human life.

In 1973 Msgr. Manger worked to help establish Birthright of Beaumont and was honored by them in 2003 for his ministry. In 1998 Msgr. Manger received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Texas Right to Life of Southeast Texas for his efforts to defend the sanctity of human life.

In the 1970s Msgr. Manger had heard about a different way of ministering to those who were dying – Hospice care. This was new to the United States and Father Manger thought it was important. He brought the idea here and was a co-founder of Southeast Texas Hospice in Orange in 1976. His work in this ministry was recognized nationally — he was elected to serve on the board of directors of the National Hospice Organization in 1978 and in 1989 received its Founder’s Award.

Additionally, Msgr. Manger had the opportunity to help people have better lives in a different way – working as Resettlement Director. As such he helped more than 1,000 Vietnamese in Southeast Texas in about a year’s time in the mid-1970s. Although there were many resettlement programs across the country, the Diocese of Beaumont’s was one of the most successful.

Conversations with Msgr. Manger often led to inspiration, action and service. At a pastoral council meeting at St. Anne, Msgr. Manger asked them how they thought they could serve the poor. The response became the St. Katharine Drexel Humanitarians who, with help from St. Anne, St. Anthony Cathedral Basilica and Cristo Rey parishes, host a yearly free health fair.

A conversation at a conference between Msgr. Manger and a priest he met named Father George Kalappura, CMI, led to the Congregation of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate ministering in the Diocese of Beaumont for 25 years now at parishes and in the Nursing Home Ministry.

Msgr. Manger’s ministry of inspiration and service also brought ACTS retreats to Southeast Texas. Beginning at St. Anne Parish, ACTS has spread throughout the diocese and has transformed hundreds, maybe thousands, of lives.

Also transforming lives is the work of The Giving Field, which Msgr. Manger helped to establish. The Giving Field provides an opportunity for outdoor education for students, especially those at St. Anne School, and provides fresh fruits and vegetables for Some Other Place in Beaumont and the Hospitality Center in Port Arthur. Msgr. Manger received the 2012 Msgr. Richard DeStefano Faithful Steward award for his ministry and his help in establishing The Giving Field.

Msgr. Manger also worked to transform lives through his interfaith and ecumenical ministry. Yearly he and several other pastors came together for an Ecumenical Lenten Series where they not only ministered to their congregations, they ministered to each other and became friends.

He loved his ministry and service to his parishioners and the children at the schools. One of his greatest joys every year was being able to celebrate his birthday with the schoolchildren during Catholic Schools Week. His ministry to his parishioners will be remembered whether it was through the sacraments or through his conversations, he was present to those in his parishes.

After ordination Father Manger’s first assign­ment was to Sacred Heart Co-Cathedral. Following this he served a number of parishes as an as­sistant including Holy Name, Houston; St. Mary, Orange; St. James, Port Arthur; and Our Lady of the Assumption, Beaumont. Southeast Texas is fortunate that Father Manger was ministering at Our Lady of As­sumption in September 1966 when the Beaumont Diocese was established and became a member of the clergy serving the new diocese. He also helped out at Immaculate Conception, Groves, and St. Anthony Cathedral, Beaumont, while their priests were out for medical reasons.

His first pastorate was St. Mary, Orange, in 1978 where he served until 1990 when he was assigned as pastor of St. Anne where he served until his death.

Msgr. Manger has also been assigned to the Catholic Stu­dent Center at Stephen F. Aus­tin, Nacogdoches, as teacher at Bishop Byrne High School, director of the Newman Apostolate, direc­tor of Family Life Ministry, an advocate in the Tribunal office, and on the Priest Retirement Committee and Presbyteral Council. He was also appointed liaison for the Charismatic Renewal in 1981.

He was named consultor in July 2000 and named a prelate of honor by Pope Benedict XVI in September 2009. He served as chairman of the Diocesan Pastoral Council and on the Diocesan Team for Renew. He also served as episcopal vicar for the Eastern Vicariate and the Central Vicariate.

Reverend Monsignor William Manger’s life story can be viewed at the link below:

https://www.dioceseofbmt.org/2021/08/02/msgr-bill-manger-life-of-ministry-life-of-service

Memorial contributions are suggested to;

St. Anne Catholic School

375 North 11^th Street, Beaumont, Texas 77702

or

St. Anne Catholic Church

2715 Calder Avenue, Beaumont, Texas 77702

The Wake for Reverend Monsignor William Manger will be streamed at the following link: https://youtu.be/Op0IjLxP68A

The Mass for  the Dead for Monsignor William Manger will be streamed at the following link: https://youtu.be/GDplDCccx1w

The Mass of Christian Burial for Monsignor William Manger will be streamed at the following link: https://youtu.be/X9BX6yC7wxs