Father Wester and other retired priests are supported by annual Easter collection
As Father Don Wester looks back on nearly 48 years of priesthood, it’s the people that stand out most.
“The best part for me is providing people with a safe place where they can bring into the light parts of their lives that they’ve never talked about before, or never exposed to the love of God, and allowing them to do that safely with me so they can come to know how deeply God loves them in every single part of their life,” Father Wester said. “That continues to be what drives me in my ministry: I want people to know how much God loves them.”
Father Wester first discerned a call to the priesthood as a teenager, attending two years of high school seminary before transferring to St. John the Baptist High School. He earned a degree from Harris Teachers’ College and taught fifth through eighth grades in St. Louis Public Schools before entering Kenrick-Glennon Seminary.
He was ordained on May 20, 1978, by Cardinal John J. Carberry at the Cathedral of St. Louis. He served at All Saints Parish in St. Peters, St. Barnabas in O’Fallon, Our Lady Queen of Peace in House Springs, St. Mark in St. Louis and Our Lady of Good Counsel in Bellefontaine Neighbors before finishing his active ministry with 19 years as pastor of All Saints in St. Peters. Father Wester retired in July 2024.
He is among 106 retired priests in the Archdiocese of St. Louis who benefit from an annual special second collection held at Masses on Easter. The collection supports priests in retirement, ensuring they receive the essential care they need, including physician services, hospitalization, nursing home care, vision care and disability, now and for years to come, regardless of where they live and whether they remain active in sacramental ministries.
While he’s no longer in active parish ministry, Father Wester continues not just to share God’s love but to teach others how to do the same, teaching homiletics to future priests at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary and future deacons in permanent diaconate formation.
His interest in homiletics started with a desire, early in his priesthood, to be able to minister more effectively to children. He was introduced to the Aquinas Institute, where he learned Catechesis of the Good Shepherd, then pursued a doctorate in preaching.
The most rewarding part of teaching his students “is to bring people to a point where they have a discovery of some way to connect their life to the world, with the truth about God’s love, sort of a bringing together of the scattered pieces of life or of community, and to watch that proverbial light bulb go on,” he said. “…It’s just beautiful to be able to pass on to others the gifts that I’ve been given in terms of love and compassion and forgiveness.”
Father Wester also preaches — in writing — through the weekly Sunday Scriptures column in the St. Louis Review, offering a reflection on the upcoming weekend’s readings.
Even outside his teaching responsibilities, Father Wester has no trouble staying busy. He ministers to people who are incarcerated through Residents Encounter Christ, helping with weekend retreats and celebrating Mass inside prisons. He loves to travel and shares that with others by leading pilgrimages every year or two. When a smaller ministry or group is seeking a priest to celebrate a special occasion or anniversary Mass, he can say yes.
Relationships remain extremely important to him in retirement. He moved to a private residence in south St. Louis County to be closer to family members. He still gathers regularly with a small faith sharing group that came out of parish renewal ministry at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, as well as other good friends from high school, college and ministry.
And for nearly 40 years, his priest support group has been a lifeline as he navigates the joys and challenges that come with the vocation.
“We meet once a month for prayer, for reflection, for life sharing, for support of each other, and no one ever misses,” he said. “That’s saved our lives, saved our vocations, saved our sense of hope and all those sorts of things. We help each other to stay connected with the truth.”
As he looks back in gratitude, Father Wester describes his priesthood as “both a mystery and a gift.”
“Every time I read the Scriptures where it says, God chooses the little ones, or God chooses those who are least in the kingdom — all that kind of stuff makes sense, because that’s who I am. It just gives me hope that I can pass on to other people, that if I can do it, anyone can do it,” he said. “I’m so grateful that I’ve been able to be present in so many situations where healing is present, or insight is present, or prophetic action is present. I just never thought that would be part of my life.”
2026 Retired Priest Collection
The annual Archbishop’s Collection for Retired Priests is traditionally held on Easter Sunday. The collection helps assure our priests receive the essential care they need, including physician services, hospitalization, nursing home care, vision care and disability, now and for years to come.
There are currently 106 retired priests in the Archdiocese of St. Louis. Twenty-six are in residence at parishes, while the rest are retired in private residence, at Regina Cleri or in a senior living/nursing home.
You can make your gift at Mass through the designated envelope, or any envelope marked Retired Priests, on or after Easter weekend. Online gifts are welcome year-round at stlreview.com/4bmOsRa.
