More than 80 diocesan staff members turned out on May 23 for a Mass in celebration of a Bishop William K. Weigand’s 70th birthday.

The liturgy and luncheon, held at the Diocesan Pastoral Center, began with remarks from the guest of honor, setting a lighthearted tone for the day.

“Not all of me is 70,” Bishop Weigand quipped, adding that age is relative, that the decades of life are simply markers in time, and age a state of mind.

Sacramento’s eighth bishop, installed at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament on Jan. 27, 1994, confided that he had agreed to the birthday celebration on one condition.

“Ten years ago I got this funny hat from those of you around then with the words, ‘If older is better, I must be marvelous,’” Bishop Weigand said, hinting he was hoping for a similar hat this year.

He would not be disappointed, as a later gift presentation included a new gardening hat and other gifts useful to an avid gardener.

During his homily, Bishop Weigand spoke of the challenges that come into every life.

He recalled two years ago, when his liver, which had been seriously damaged by primary sclerosing cholangitis, required surgery and a liver transplant from Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District firefighter Dan Haverty.

“When I woke up after surgery, I thought, it can’t be heaven. It hurts too much,” he said. “Life isn’t easy.”

Grateful for the many blessings that have come his way over the past 70 years, Bishop Weigand recalled his ministry as bishop, beginning in 1980 in the Diocese of Salt Lake City and the last 13 years in Sacramento.

“As I look back over 70 years…I’ve had so many opportunities,” he said. “What an honor it is to be an instrument of the Gospel in whatever way we can.”

Looking ahead to the “golden years,” Bishop Weigand recalled that the Golden Gate Bridge was inaugurated just the week before his birth in 1937.

“Even though the sun is setting, I’m not reading a lot into the fact they’re putting up a new bridge,” he said.

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