Bill Hildebrand Funeral Homily by Fr. Javier del Castillo, Vicar of Opus Dei; January 22, 2025; Murray Hill Place 16th Floor Chapel; Narrated by Steven Gerald;

Obituary of William F. Hildebrand: William F. Hildebrand, 75, of New Rochelle, NY, passed away at home on January 14, 2025. He is survived by his brothers Steve (Bobbe) and Kim (Jennifer), nephew Rob, and nieces Annie, Lisa and Allie; Bill was born on August 5, 1949, in West Bend, WI, to Myron and Mary Jane Hildebrand; A dedicated student, he was co-valedictorian of West Bend High School’s Class of 1967.; He went on to earn a B.A. in Mathematics from the University of Notre Dame in 1971 and later completed an MBA at Harvard Business School in 1976; Bill began his career as a Certified Public Accountant, working in accounting, auditing, and financial control roles for various companies in Chicago and later in Washington, D.C.; In 1992, he moved to New Rochelle, NY, to join the Woodlawn Foundation as a computer programmer.; Beginning in 2003, he worked for the headquarters of Opus Dei in New York as a programmer and events planner. ; He had a flare for writing and helped with editing articles for the Opus Dei website.;

An avid reader with a knack for numbers and puzzles, Bill was also a passionate sports fan; He enjoyed organizing competitions—most notably his legendary “March Madness” contests—and took advantage of his sports knowledge to create ways to inject a happy interlude into people’s day.;

In his thirties, Bill successfully overcame pituitary cancer, though it left him with ongoing health challenges that he faced with quiet fortitude and calm acceptance. ; Humble and straightforward, he had a deep Catholic faith. He was well-loved, and his sense of humor was greatly appreciated by all who knew him.;

A funeral Mass was celebrated at Murray Hill Place on Wednesday, January 22 at 10:00 a.m. ;The burial took place after the Mass at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, 10 W. Stevens Ave, Hawthorne, NY 10532.

https://jjffh.com/tribute/details/1148/William-Hildebrand/obituary.html#tribute-start

Funeral Address for Fr. Sal Ferigle by Cardinal Bernard Law; St. Aidan's Church; Boston, MA; January 11, 1997; Narrated by Steven Gerald;

Fr. Sal and Fr. Joseph Muzquiz began Opus Dei in the United States in 1949. The first member of Opus Dei in the U.S. was Dick Reiman--later Fr. Dick Reiman; thousands followed him to join Opus Dei in the U.S. as a result of his prayer and sacrifice.

With the deaths of Fr. Joseph, Fr. Sal, and Fr. Dick, the foundational stage of Opus Dei in the U.S. was completed.

This meditation (guided prayer) was given on the feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, the 12th of December in the year of the Lord 2020. A few days earlier, Pope Francis declared that the year of 2020 would be dedicated to Saint Joseph.

Fr. Joe Babendreier reads a story titled “ChristmasTonight.” In this story, he tries to catch a glimpse of the mystery Saint John Paul II examined in the document Redemptoris Custos, Guardian of the Redeemer.

That document was published on August 15th, 1985. It declares the Church's teaching on the marriage of Saint Joseph and the Blessed Virgin Mary, how they came to be husband and wife.

And it also describes how Saint Joseph became a father toJesus because of that marriage. The story Fr. Joe reads speaks of the night when Jesus was born.

It contains a lengthy flashback where the Virgin Mary recalls the events that led to her marriage with St. Joseph and their journey to Bethlehem.