Father William Seifert SVD, an anthropologist and missionary in Papua New Guinea for more than 30 years, died at Techny on June 21 at age 85.
A priest for 58 years, Father Seifert earned a doctorate in Anthropology from The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., before embarking upon his first assignment. He was assigned to the Anthropos Institute, headquartered near Bonn, Germany, and sent to Papua New Guinea as one of the Melanesian Pastoral Institute’s first staff members.
Founded in 1968, the ecumenical Melanesian Pastoral Institute supports churches, missionary societies and service institutions through publications, in-service training and culture-related courses. The institute focuses on pastoral and socio-economic issues, such as conflict resolution, cultural preservation, equitable development and sustainable resource management.
Father Seifert specialized in urbanization and urban pastoral practice. For eight years, he contributed to the institute through his writings, research, courses and workshops.
In 1980, Most Rev. Ray Caesar SVD, bishop of Goroko, Papua New Guinea, asked Father Seifert to found a new parish in Goroko. In addition to his work with the parish, Father Seifert managed the Goroka Diocese Finance Office and the Conference and Pastoral Center, served as liaison with the Papua New Guinea Immigration and Labor Departments for Entry Permits (visas) and represented the diocese in dealings with the Papua New Guinea Lands Department.
Bishop Caesar also appointed Father Seifert as vicar general. In 1987, when the bishop died suddenly, Father Seifert’s fellow priests elected him as diocesan administrator, a responsibility that he fulfilled for two years.
Later, the Vatican appointed the Archbishop of Mount Hagen as the diocese’s apostolic administrator, who in turn made Father Seifert his episcopal vicar.
William Seifert was born in Pittsburgh, Penn., on Oct. 9, 1939, the elder of Clarence and Mary (nee Walsh) Seifert’s two sons. He entered the Society of the Divine Word at Bordentown, N.J., in the autumn of 1957 after graduating from North Catholic High School in Pittsburgh.
He professed vows in 1962 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1967.
In addition to administrative duties in Papua New Guinea, Father Seifert served as director of the Overseas Training Program (also known as Cross-Cultural Training Program) for seminarians from other countries for 15 years and as a hospital and prison chaplain.
Father Seifert had been living in the Divine Word Residence at Techny since 2006. In semi-retirement, he served as assistant novice director from 2009 to 2018.
He is survived by his brother and sister-in-law, Daniel and Pat Seifert.
Mass of the Resurrection was held in the Divine Word Residence chapel on June 27. Father Seifert is buried at St. Mary Cemetery in Techny.
In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made in the name of Father Seifert and sent to The Rector, Divine Word Residence, 1901 Waukegan Road, P.O. Box 6000, Techny, IL 60082-6000.