William Weigand

William Keith Weigand (born May 23, 1937) is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Sacramento in California from 1993 to 2008. Weigand previously served as the bishop of the Diocese of Salt Lake City in Utah and as a priest in the Diocese of Boise in Idaho.

Biography

Early life Weigand was born on May 23, 1937, in Bend, Oregon, one of four sons of Harold and Alice Weigand. When Weigand was age 12, the family moved to St. Maries, Idaho. He attended St. Maries Academy in Cottonwood, Idaho, a school run by the Benedictine Sisters. In 1951, Weigand entered Mt. Angel Minor Seminary in Saint Benedict, Oregon, for secondary school and two years of college.

In 1959, Weigand graduated from St. Edward Seminary in Kenmore, Washington, with a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy. He then attended St. Thomas Seminary in Denver, finishing in 1963 with a Master of Divinity degree.

Priesthood On May 25, 1963, Weigand was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Boise by Bishop Sylvester W. Treinen at St. Mary Immaculate Church in St. Maries, Idaho.

Weigand served as a parochial vicar in several parishes in the diocese, and as the administrator of several missions. Weigand served from 1964 to 1968 as the chancellor and vice-officialis of the diocese, and was a member of the diocesan council of presbyters.

In 1968, Weigand moved to Cali, Colombia, to work at a mission run by the Diocese of Boise. In an interview after his retirement, Weigand described his work in Colombia:“We had a huge challenge to provide religious instruction for youth, to prepare people for Confirmation and marriage. We also established social service ministries that included medical clinics and food pantries. So we had to develop networks of lots of people to help. All these ministries were satellite communities, of sorts, under the umbrella of the parish. It was almost the exact image of a diocese.” While in Colombia, Weigand started experiencing health issues and requested a return to the United States. In 1978, he was appointed pastor of St. Hubert's Parish in Homedale, Idaho.

Bishop of Sacramento

On November 18, 1993, Pope John Paul II appointed Weigand as bishop of Sacramento. He was installed January 27, 1994, at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament in Sacramento, California.

In 1996, Weigand celebrated the funeral mass of former Governor Pat Brown. In 2005, as a result of Weigand's primary sclerosing cholangitis, he experienced liver failure. In April 2005, he received a liver transplant. In October 2007, the Vatican named Reverend Jaime Soto as coadjutor bishop to assist Weigand.

Retirement In 2008, Weigand submitted a letter of resignation as bishop of Sacramento to Pope Benedict XVI due to health issues. It was granted on November 29, 2008, and on November 30, 2008, Soto succeeded Weigand as bishop of the Diocese of Sacramento.