Joseph William 'Reverend Joseph W. Burg Burger

Reverend Joseph William Burger, 91, died peacefully on August 21, 2012 after devoting more than fifty years actively ministering to the people of western Oklahoma. Father Burger was born on July 2, 1921 in New Hamburg, Missouri to Henry A. and Anna (Jelan) Burger. Father Burger and his four older brothers and sisters grew up in Cape Girardeau, Missouri where he attended Catholic Schools under the auspices of the Sisters of Notre Dame, graduating in 1939 from Saint Mary High School. His education was interrupted by World War II and his service in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific. Following his discharge in 1945, Father Burger enrolled at Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio and later transferred to the Art Institute of Chicago. After attending Maryknoll Seminary, Maryknoll, Maryland for two years, the Most Reverend Eugene J. McGuinness accepted Father Burger for the Diocese of Oklahoma City and Tulsa. Father Burger completed his seminary training at Assumption Seminary, San Antonio, Texas and was ordained on December 21, 1954 at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Oklahoma City. Father Burger's first assignment was to Saint Peter Church, Woodward and its missions where he began his lifelong study of Spanish. Future assignments took him to Saint Joseph Church, Buffalo, Sacred Heart Church, Mangum and its mission, Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, Hollis and Saint Anthony of Padua Church, Okeene and its mission, Saint Thomas the Apostle Church, Seiling. In 1978, Father Burger began a ten-year assignment at Saint Peter Church in Guymon with its missions of Church of the Good Shepherd, Boise City and Sacred Heart Church, Hooker. His devotion to Hispanic ministry continued during his assignment to Saint Joseph Church, Blackwell and Saint Joseph Church Tonkawa where he served until his retirement in 2001 Father Burger credited his dedication to his vocation to prayer. During his assignment at Mangum, he served as Archdiocesan Director of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Apostleship of Prayer. He also served as Archdiocesan Director of the Catholic Rural Life. In 1991 he received the Las Casas Award in Canton, Oklahoma in recognition of his advocacy for the Cheyenne and Arapaho people. In 2009, his brother priests honored him with the Father Stanley Rother Faithful Shepherd Award which is sponsored by the Archdiocesan Presbyteral Council. Father Burger is survived by many nieces and nephews and his many friends at Saint Ann Nursing Home and elsewhere.