Rev. John P. Bergstadt
Deceased: 2025-04-06
Diocese: GREEN BAY
Seminary Graduation Year: 1968
With faith in the Resurrection of our Lord, we offer our prayers for Rev. John P. Bergstadt, who entered eternal life on April 6, 2025 at the age of 83.
Father Bergstadt was born in Menominee, Michigan, the only child of Walter and Anna Ruth (Bostedt) Bergstadt. He attended Our Lady of Lourdes Grade School and is a graduate of Marinette Catholic Central High School in 1959. He attended Sacred Heart Seminary, Oneida and went on to earn a BA from St. Francis Seminary, Milwaukee in 1964.
On December 21, 1967, Father Bergstadt was ordained at St. Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, by Most Reverend Francis Reh, Rector of the North American College. Father Bergstadt continued his studies and earned a Licentiate of Sacred Theology in 1968 from the Gregorian University, Rome.
Father’s first assignment was at St. Therese Parish, Appleton. In 1972, he was appointed Associate Pastor, then Pastor, of Holy Cross Parish in Kaukauna. In 1979 he was appointed Pastor of St. Bernard Parish in Green Bay where he served for 17 years. He was then named Pastor of St. Bernard in Appleton from 1996 to 2005. At that time, Father Bergstadt was appointed Pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish, Howard. He was also named Temporary Administrator at St. Benedict Parish, Suamico, and St. Pius, Little Suamico, while continuing as Pastor at St. John the Baptist. In 2010 he was appointed as Regional Vicar of Vicariate II and served in this role until his retirement. In 2019, after serving 14 years at St. John the Baptist, he received senior priest status.
Father Bergstadt’s favorite scripture verse was: “I have come that you may have life and life most abundantly.” For as long as he could remember, that promise of Our Lord had been eminently true. He felt he received far more than he could ever have imagined. He was so grateful to be called to be a priest which was evident in how he served.
Father John enjoyed his friends that became his family. He would enjoy a good game of cribbage, taking a ride up to his hometown or taking time to relax on a cruise. He knew how blessed he was and shared the following reflection with us.
Ad majoran Dei gloriam!
All for the greater honor and glory of God!
In my life I have had so much more than I could ever have imagined. God has guided this naive little boy from Marinette in all the stages of my life.
He has protected me from many things – some of which I know; others I may never know. I have heard his call as early as second grade; I have felt his subtle, but powerful Holy Spirit guiding all the various steps in my life. I have never been alone or unloved.
Above all, God has chosen me to be a priest. It has been awesome and humbling adventure.
I have seldom, if ever, referred to what I have done as “a job” or “work”. It has been, rather, a joy. I loved to hear the stories of people’s lives; to connect them with Jesus through the Sacred Scriptures and the Sacraments. It’s been so exciting to see lives change – not the least of which has been my own.
Now I feel like Saint Paul. I would love to stick around and continue to be so engaged. On the other hand, there is much more and I long to be there as well. Above all, I want to serve the Lord and so what his will is for me.
I believe in heaven. How could I not with signs all over the place – Heaven has begun showing itself in nature, in family and friends, incredible compassion, and in great mysteries, in the ever so subtle movement of the Holy Spirit.
I know and believe that there is a heaven. I don’t want to miss heaven and I don’t want you to miss it either. God has been loving me all along the way. My mother and dad and an incredible number of others are interceding for me. The saints are urging me on. They are longing for me to join them.
Visitation will be held on Sunday, April 13, 2025 at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 2597 Glendale Ave, Green Bay, from 5:00pm until 7:00pm, with a concluding prayer service at 6:45pm. Visitation will continue at the same location Monday, April 14, from 9:00am until the time of the Funeral Liturgy.
The Funeral Liturgy, expressing our faith in the promised glory of the Lord’s Resurrection, will be at 11:00am on Monday, April 14, with Most Reverend David L. Ricken as Celebrant and Reverend Scott Valentyn as homilist. Burial will follow, in Marinette at Forest Home Cemetery, aside his mother and father.
To send online condolences, please go to www.BlaneyFuneralHome.com.
Thank you to the compassionate staffs of the McCormick Home and St. Paul Elder Services and Hospice for their thoughtful care of Father John.
Gratitude is sent to the many friends that visited and the caregivers through the years that brought him much peace and joy.
