William Weigand


William Keith Weigand is an American Roman Catholic bishop, who served as the eighth Bishop of Sacramento in the U.S. state of California from 1993 to 2008. He previously served as the seventh Bishop of Salt Lake City and as a priest in the Diocese of Boise.

Priesthood

Weigand was born in Bend, Oregon, one of four sons of Harold and Alice Weigand. Weigand's minor seminary studies occurred at Mt. Angel Abbey and Seminary, where one of his brothers, Francis, is a Benedictine Monk. He graduated from St. Edward Seminary in Kenmore, Washington, in 1959 with a bachelor's degree in philosophy, and from St. Thomas Seminary in Kenmore in 1963 with a Master of Divinity degree. He was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Boise by Bishop Sylvester W. Treinen on May 25, 1963. He served as a parochial vicar in several parishes in the diocese, and as the administrator of several missions. He served from 1964-1968 as the chancellor and vice-officialis of the diocese, and was a member of the diocesan council of presbyters. In 1968, he moved to Cali, Colombia, as a missionary. He returned to Idaho in 1978 to serve as pastor of St. Hubert's Parish in Homedale, Idaho.

Episcopacy

Bishop of Salt Lake City

On September 3, 1980, he was appointed the Bishop of Salt Lake City by Pope John Paul II. He was consecrated on November 17 by Archbishop John R. Quinn of San Francisco, Bishop Sylvester Treinen of Boise and Bishop Joseph Federal of Salt Lake City. Bishop Weigand led a $9.7 million restoration of the Cathedral of the Madeleine from 1991-1993, both to bring the cathedral into compliance with liturgical changes brought about after the Second Vatican Council, most importantly moving the altar closer to the congregation, and to repair and clean the more than eighty-year-old structure.

Bishop of Sacramento

He became Bishop of Sacramento in 1993, and in 1996, celebrated the most recent gubernatorial funeral mass, which was that of Pat Brown. Pete Wilson, Jerry Brown, and Joe Serna, Jr. also spoke at the funeral mass.

Retirement

In 2008, Weigand submitted a request for retirement to the Vatican. It was granted on November 29 of that year, and on November 30, the fifteenth anniversary of his installation as Bishop of Sacramento, Weigand officially transferred leadership of the diocese to his coadjutor bishop, Jaime Soto.

Episcopal succession