It's A Joyful Day
Bishop Popp celebrates 65 years of serving the Catholic Church

Bishop Bernard F. Popp is surrounded by family and friends upon a return visit Sunday to his home parish, St. Mary's Catholic Church in Nada, for his 65th anniversary priesthood celebration. Here he is pictured with the "flower girls" of his ordination: (l-r) Sister Anna Marie Popp of Victoria, his sister; and his cousins, Bernice Staff Kalina of Garwood and Mary Ann Popp Kozel of Fort Worth, far right.

The Most Rev. Bernard F. Popp celebrated 65 years as a priest Sunday, Feb. 24 in his hometown of Nada. He concelebrated Mass with the Revs. Joseph Vrana and Anthony Boateng-Mensah at St. Mary's Catholic Church. Deacon Edward Wendel assisted.

"Bishop Popp reminisced about his ordination 65 years ago," his niece Marilyn Popp Goerig said. "He said he was always willing to go anywhere God sent him."

While currently retired, Popp previously served as auxiliary bishop to the archbishop of San Antonio. Most of his years in the priesthood were spent in San Antonio, with a few months in Victoria. Bishop Popp became the second native priest of St. Mary's Parish to become a bishop. Father Hugo M. Gerbermann, MM, was the first. Gerbermann and Popp had been classmates.

Contributed Photos Warm Embrace Delighted to be back home for a brief visit to celebrate a milestone in his life, the 90-yearold bishop, the Most Rev. Bernard F. Popp, offers a warm handshake to Jessie Pavlicek of Garwood, a member of St. Mary's Parish in Nada. Popp grew up in the same church and became the second priest from the parish to become a bishop. Two of his sisters also chose a vocation in the Catholic Church. Both are nuns at the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament Convent in Victoria.

"Bishop Popp is retired from full time assignment, but he continues to work with parishes and their needs," Goerig said.

The 4th Degree Knights of Columbus served as honor guards for Sunday's event. St. Mary's youth choir provided the music and lectors. Gifts were presented by the three ladies who were "flower girls" at the Bishop's ordination. They were Sister Anna Marie Popp, the bishop's sister; and Bernice Staff Kalina and Mary Ann Popp Kozel, both cousins of the bishop. A reception and luncheon followed at the parish hall.

Contributed Photo At The Head Table Following Mass in honor of Bishop Bernard F. Popp's 65th anniversary at St. Mary's Catholic Church Sunday, a reception follows at the parish hall. Here he is surrounded by family members at the head table. Seated are (l-r) Father Joe Vrana, pastor of St. Mary's; Bernice Popp, Joe Popp, his brother; Popp, and his sisters, Sisters Adelaide Popp and Anna Marie Popp. A cake in the foreground states Popp was ordained Feb. 24, 1943. He is currently retired from assigned duties within the Catholic Church, but continues to serve the community in which he lives. The 90-year-old priest who resides in San Antonio grew up in Nada.

Born in Nada Dec. 6, 1917, Popp grew up in a home where parents Ferdinand and Anna Staff Popp instilled in their children the love of God. The family began and ended each day with prayers. They also attended Mass at St. Mary's every Sunday. These religious influences prompted three of the Popps' children to seek vocations within the Catholic church. Popp became an ordained priest and his two sisters became nuns. Sisters Anna Marie and Adelaide Popp are with the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament Convent in Victoria. Other siblings include the late Augusta

Gerbermann of El Campo; the late Margaret Swoboda of Nada, Joe L. Popp of Nada and the late Lawrence Popp.

Besides regular daily prayers and Sunday Mass, the family gathered to pray the rosary each Saturday evening.

In addition to family influence, Popp felt drawn to serve as an altar boy when he became old enough. At the age of nine he would ride his new bicycle 2 1/2 miles to church to serve the early morning Mass. Father Barnabas Held, who was pastor at St. Mary's from 1914 until 1927, also played a role in Popp's spiritual life. In an article in Today's Catholic published in 1983 when he became an ordained bishop, Popp said, "Deep down he is responsible for me going to the seminary."

Other role models were Msgr. Aloysious Leopold, Father John Gerbermann and Bishop Hugo Gerbermann. All three were from Nada.

The Popps were a farming family. The bishop recalls his earliest job was driving mules during the cotton picking season. These farming experiences created a love of the land and years later he chose gardening as his favorite hobby.

Popp's educational background included attending Nada Elementary and High School. In 1935, he entered St. John's Seminary in San Antonio and was ordained to the priesthood Feb. 24, 1943 at the San Fernando Cathedral. Father Popp's first Solemn Mass was celebrated in St. Mary's Church in Nada Feb. 28, 1943.

On June 7, 1983, Msgr. Popp, rector of San Fernando Cathedral, was appointed auxiliary bishop-elect of the Archdiocese of San Antonio by Archbishop Patrick F. Flores. Bishop Popp celebrated his first Pontifical Mass in his hometown parish in Nada July 31, 1983.

His first assignment was at St. Agnes Parish in San Antonio where he was full-time assistant for two years. He then became priest-secretary to Archbishop Robert E. Lucey. The priest secretary's job was to assist with confirmation and visitations to all the parishes and Popp also worked as bookkeeper for Archbishop Lucey. He served in that capacity for 23 years.

Other appointments include St. Joseph, assistant, 1945; procurator and advocate on matrimonial court, 1945; secretary on the archdiocesan building board, 1946; St. Patrick, assistant, 1948; San Antonio District, parish examiner, 1948; St. Mary Magdalen, assistant, 1949; member of Council of Administration, 1951; St. Vincent de Paul Society, St. Anthony particular council, spiritual director, 1953; St. Mary Magdalen, pastor, 1956; Church of the Holy Spirit, administrator, 1964; Victoria deanery, vicar, 1967; St. Mary's, Victoria, pastor, 1967; St. Paul, pastor, 1968; Northwest District, quadrant chairman, 1969; Archdiocesan Council of Catholic Women, moderator, 1969; reappointed archdiocesan consultor, 1970; archdiocesan personnel board, member, 1974; vice officialis of the Tribunal, Archdiocese of San Antonio, 1975; Archdiocese of San Antonio, officialis, 1976; San Fernando Cathedral, rector and pastor, 1978; appointed titular Bishop of Capsus, June 7, 1983 and Auxiliary Bishop of San Antonio, 1983 and consecrated July 25, 1983.

Upon his retirement in 1993, he chose to go to St. Benedict Parish and minister there with Father Edward A. Pavlicek Jr. For many years he kept his Saturday ministry that he started when he was rector at San Fernando Cathedral. He started as a confessor and celebrated liturgy with the Daughters of St. Paul sisters and continued for about 35 years.

Bishop Popp plans to continue writing for Today's Catholic. He has published three books which compiled all his Bible reflections published through the years. He offers Mass for the Daughters of St. Paul and hears confessions for the ACTS retreats. He again will help with ministries in Kerrville when he becomes more mobile.

At the moment, he is at Padua Place in San Antonio where he is temporarily residing while recuperating from a fall. Editor's note: Some information was compiled from Today's Catholic.