William J. Winter


William Joseph Winter is the auxiliary bishop emeritus of the Roman Catholic diocese of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and the titular bishop of Uthina.

Life

Winter was born in Beechview, Pittsburgh in 1930. He attended St. Catherine of Siena for grade school, and St. Michael High School in Pittsburgh's South Side before entering St. Vincent Seminary in 1948. He was ordained a priest on December 17, 1955. Winter briefly served as an assistant at St. Bernard Parish in Mount Lebanon, before going to Rome to receive a degree in sacred theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University in 1958.
Before his appointment as auxiliary bishop, Winter had served as the pastor of Holy Innocents Parish in Sheraden, and St. Philip's in Crafton, as well as assistant chancellor and vice-chancellor of the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
Winter was appointed bishop on December 21, 1988 by Pope John Paul II, and consecrated February 13, 1989, by Cardinal Donald Weurl, the then Bishop of Pittsburgh. While bishop, Winter served as pastor of Sacred Heart in Shadyside, and notably led the Parish Reorganization and Revitalization Project that dissolved or consolidated 163 parishes between 1992 and 1994.
Winter submitted his resignation when he reached the age of 75. His application was approved by Pope John Paul II, and he retired from the duties of auxiliary bishop on May 20, 2005. At the time of his resignation, he was recognized by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for confirming an estimated 45,000 Catholics. Since he resigned, Bishop Winter has resided at St. John Vianney Manor Retirement Home on the campus of St. Paul Seminary in Crafton.

Episcopal succession