The following priests of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee retired from active ministry June 30, unless otherwise noted.
Fr. John Dennis Aiello was born in Kenosha, and attended Saint Francis Minor Seminary, St. Francis (1954-1958); De Sales Preparatory Seminary, St. Francis (1960-1962); and Saint Francis Major Seminary, St. Francis (1962-1969).
Ordained May 24, 1969, at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Milwaukee, he served as associate pastor at St. Lucy, Racine (1969-1970); associate pastor at St. Jerome, Oconomowoc (1970-1972); was chaplain at St. Luke’s Hospital, Milwaukee (1972-1974); associate pastor at St. Sebastian, Milwaukee (1974-1978); served as secretary of the Tribunal of the Milwaukee Archdiocese (1978-2002); served as temporary administrator at St. Barbara, Milwaukee (1987); was supervising priest of St. Joseph, Cudahy (1995), and later became pastor of St. Joseph, Racine (2002).
Fr. Melvin E. Michalski was born in Milwaukee and attended Saint Francis Minor Seminary, St. Francis (1957-1961); De Sales Preparatory Seminary, St. Francis (1961-1962); St. Francis Major Seminary, St. Francis (1962-1963); and Canisianum, Innsbruck, Austria (1966-1970).
Ordained Feb. 28, 1970, at Canisianum, Innsbruck, Austria, he served as associate pastor of St. Louis, Caledonia (1970-1974); served as faculty of St. Joseph High School, Kenosha (1974-1981); served as faculty at St. Francis Seminary, (1987-2003); was vice-rector of Saint Francis Seminary (2003); assisting priest at St. John Nepomuk Parish, Racine (2001-2004) and was also a professor of theology at Sacred Heart School of Theology, Franklin (2007-2011).
Fr. Carl Allen Last was born in Milwaukee and attended Saint Francis Minor Seminary, St. Francis (1956-1960); De Sales Preparatory Seminary, St. Francis (1960-1962); and St. Francis Major Seminary, St. Francis (1962-1969).
Ordained May 24, 1969, at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Milwaukee, Fr. Last served as associate pastor of St. Gregory the Great, Milwaukee (1969-1972); and as associate pastor of St. Frederick, Cudahy (1972). In 1973 he served as coordinator of the Liturgical Commission (Office of Divine Worship), and later became executive director in 1976. In 1977 he became administrator of the National Federation of Diocesan Liturgical Commissions, Chicago. Fr. Last also served on the faculty of Saint Francis Seminary as an instructor and later as director of continuing education for clergy (1973-1977, and 1981-1986).
Fr. Last was also pastor of Corpus Christi, Milwaukee (1986-1992); St. Matthias, Milwaukee (1992-1996); associate pastor and vice-rector of the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Milwaukee (2000), becoming pastor and rector in 2001.
Fr. William John Dietzler was born in Hartford in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and attended Saint Francis Minor Seminary, St. Francis (1957-1961); De Sales Preparatory Seminary, St. Francis (1961-1962); and Saint Francis Major Seminary, St. Francis (1962-1969).
Ordained May 24, 1969, at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Milwaukee, he began his priestly ministry as associate pastor of St. Clement, Sheboygan (1969-1978). He later served as associate pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Kenosha (1978-1988); as chaplain of St. Mary Medical Center, Racine (1988-1995); temporary administrator of St. Edward, Racine (1995); and pastor of St. Paul the Apostle, Racine (2005-2011).
Fr. Peter Chester Drenzek was born in Milwaukee and attended Saint Francis Minor Seminary, St. Francis (1957-1961); De Sales Preparatory Seminary, St. Francis (1961-1962); and Saint Francis Major Seminary, St. Francis (1962-1969).
Ordained May 24, 1969 at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Milwaukee, he began his priestly ministry as an associate pastor of St. Helen, Milwaukee. He was later assigned associate pastor of St. Rita, West Allis (1975-1982); associate pastor of St. Dominic, Sheboygan (1982-1985); pastor of St. John, Byron, with mission of St. James, Oakfield (1985-1988); pastor of St. Mary, Fond du Lac (1988-1998); pastor of St. Bernard, Wauwatosa (1998-2002); and supervising priest of St. Therese, Milwaukee (2002-2011).
Fr. Arthur George Heinze was born in Kenosha and attended Saint Francis Minor Seminary, St. Francis (1959-1961); De Sales Preparatory Seminary, St. Francis (1961-1962); and Saint Francis Major Seminary, St. Francis (1962-1965) and the North American College, Rome (1965-1969).
Ordained Dec. 20, 1968, at the Basilica of St. Peter, Rome, he went on to attend Andover Newton Theological School, Boston, for further studies (1977). He later served as faculty at Saint Francis Seminary (1980-1988); vice-rector of Saint Francis Seminary (1988-1993); pastor of St. Mary, Hales Corners (1993-2005); and pastor of St. James, Menomonee Falls (2005-2011).
Fr. Allan Joseph Sommer was born in Milwaukee, he attended Saint Francis Minor Seminary, St. Francis (1957-1959) and Saint Francis Major Seminary, St. Francis (1959-1966).
Ordained May 28, 1966 at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Milwaukee, he began his priestly ministry as curate of St. Philip Neri, Milwaukee (1966-1974). He then went on to become associate pastor of St. Louis, Caledonia (1974-1984); administrator of St. Patrick, Racine (1984), which later turned into a pastor position (1984-1993). After a brief time out on sick leave, Fr. Sommer returned to become pastor of St. Mary, Port Washington (1995-2007); and pastor of St. Bernadette, Milwaukee (2007-2011).
Fr. Norman R. Schwartz, who retired Nov. 1, 2010, was born in Hartford and attended Saint Francis de Sales Minor and Major seminaries. Ordained May 24, 1969, at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Milwaukee, Fr. Schwartz served St. Bernard, Wauwatosa; St. Aloysius, West Allis; Immaculate Conception, Milwaukee; St. Joseph, Cudahy; Holy Angels, West Bend; St. Dominic, Sheboygan; St. Casimir, Milwaukee; Corpus Christi, Milwaukee; St. Joseph, Wauwatosa; St. Sebastian, Milwaukee; SS. Peter and Paul, Nenno, with mission of St. Anthony, Allenton.
Fr. Schwartz also served as faculty member at St. Catherine High School, Racine, and part time in campus ministry at UW-Parkside, Kenosha. He was director of pastoral care at St. Camillus Campus, Wauwatosa, and St. Joseph Medical Center, Burbank, Calif. Fr. Schwartz was chaplain at Mt. Carmel Health and Rehabilitation Center, Greenfield; St. Catherine Hospital, Kenosha; St. Joseph Hospital, Milwaukee; Victory Memorial Hospital, Brooklyn, N.Y., (served during 9/11); St. Joseph Hospital, Chicago, Ill.; and Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, D.C., his last assignment.
In addition, he has served as a part-time Army Reserve chaplain, as a member of the Milwaukee Priest Senate and as a presenter for the Marriage Enrichment staff.
Fr. Schwartz, who is studying for a second master’s degree in spiritual direction at Creighton University, Omaha, Neb., resides in St. Francis in retirement.
Fr. Michael Otto Sturm was born in Port Washington and he attended St. Lawrence Seminary, Mt. Calvary (1961-1963) and Saint Francis Seminary, St. Francis (1963-1969).
Ordained May 24, 1969, at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist, Milwaukee, he began his priestly ministry as associate pastor of St. Kilian, Hartford (1969-1971). He then went on to become associate pastor of St. Mary, Fond du Lac (1971-1972); associate pastor of Sacred Heart, Fond du Lac (1972-1979); a faculty member of Messmer High School, Milwaukee (1979-1981 and 1982-1983); principal of Mary Queen of Heaven Parish School, West Allis (1983-1989); principal of St. Catherine Parish School, Milwaukee (1989-1992); pastor of St. Patrick, Fond du Lac (1992-1998); coordinator of Detention Ministries (1998-2008); Pastoral Transitions minister (2008-2009); administrator of St. Joseph, Waupun, St. Brendan, Brandon, and St. Mary, Springvale (2009-2010); and later pastor (2010-2011).