New Edgar priest happy to return to Marathon County

A new priest at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, Edgar, said on Monday he’s happy to be back in central Wisconsin and looks forward to leading the parish, its school, and a sister parish, Holy Family, in Poniatowski.

The Rev. Alan Wierzba, 56, who grew up in Weston, said it was “wonderful” to be close to his parents who still live in his hometown and a sister who lives in Fenwood.

“The Lord brought me here for a reason,” he said. “For family, for myself.”

The priest said his last assignment was in La Crosse and, although he liked the proximity to the Mississippi River and the bluffs, he feels comfortable with Marathon’s County’s rolling hills and its signature landmark, Rib Mountain The Rev. Wierzba said he is “thrilled” to work at two parishes that have church facilities that have been well cared for and don’t need much immediate attention.

“Sometimes, you come to a parish and have to spend a ton of time fixing things up,” he said.

The priest said he plans to teach religion class at St. John’s Catholic School and get to know the students at lunch and at recess.

“The kids love it and I love it,” he said.

The Rev. Wierzba said the job of the school is more important than ever. “Our job is to give students a foundation that says God is part of the good, true and the beautiful,” he said. “They can draw on that foundation as they go into a world of change and craziness.”

The priest admits to being bookish and spending his free time engaged in Scriptural study. A project he has started will be to comment on books in the Bible in video blogs. “I’ve started with Genesis,” he said.

The Rev. Wierzba left the Catholic Church at age 18 and, after working at Radio Shack and Kolbe and Kolbe in the Wausau area, returned to the church at age 27 and, two years later, attended St. John Vianney Seminary on the campus of St. Thomas University. He also studied at Creighton University and Mundelein Seminary.

The Rev. Wierzba was ordained to the priesthood on June 30, 2001, in La Crosse.

In 2012, the priest was named director of the Office of Vocations for the Diocese of La Crosse. He has serviced parishes in Durand, Mondovi and Lima, Gays Mills and Rolling Ground, Wisconsin Rapids and UW-La Crosse.