Fr. Hugh Birdsall SDS

Birth: August 15, 1935 

Profession: September 8, 1956 

Ordination: May 31, 1962 

Death: August 14, 2026

Father Hugh Birdsall SDS (birth name: Benjamin John) was born in Maplewood, Wisconsin, a small farming community about five miles southwest of Sturgeon Bay in Door County. He was the only boy among the seven children in the family of Hugh and Marion (Bancroft) Birdsall. After attending East Maplewood Elementary School, he enrolled in Salvatorian Seminary in St. Nazianz. Having two priests in his extended family already, it didn’t surprise other family members when he spoke of having a desire to look into becoming a priest. He would later note that, initially, this wasn’t at the top of his list and that he was merely giving it some thought. But he felt a connection with the idea of serving God. While attending classes in the seminary, he also felt a connection to the Salvatorian community. He loved the life-style they lived. The routine of daily Mass, meditation, classes and meals with the other seminarians gave him a sense of belonging to the group. This seminary experience also opened the door to his becoming a teacher, something which was of great interest to him. After completing the second year of college, he entered the Society’s Novitiate in Colfax, Iowa, where he received the religious name “Hugh” (which he chose in honor of his father). He made his profession of vows on September 8, 1956.

Moving to Maryland, he and his fellow-Salvatorian classmates entered the Major Seminary years of study, living at Divine Savior Seminary in Lanham and taking classes at Catholic University in nearby Washington, DC. He was ordained a priest in the chapel of Divine Savior Seminary on May 31, 1962. Fr. Hugh’s first priestly assignment took him to St. Pius X Seminary in Galt, California, just outside of Sacramento. He served as a Spiritual Director and he also taught algebra, world history, English and Latin over the next four years. In 1966, he moved to Waukesha, Wisconsin, to teach philosophy at Mount St. Paul College for three years. Then a slight shift in ministry brought him to Baltimore, Maryland, where he served as Campus Chaplain in a predominantly African-American college. He wondered whether his work would be more than simply celebrating Mass for the students and faculty – and, to his amazement, it was. He found new purpose in getting to know the students, whether they were Catholic or not, and he gained a new appreciation for what it meant for these young people to grow up being marginalized. That awareness was something Fr. Hugh carried with him for the rest of his life. He also began to realize how much he enjoyed working with and counseling people.

In 1978, Fr. Hugh immersed himself in a year-long clergy-led program at the Menninger Foundation in Topeka, Kansas, learning the dynamics of pastoral counseling and working towards getting his certification as a professional counselor. He earned his Master’s degree in counseling from Loyola College in Baltimore the next year, while also working as a hospital chaplain. Fr. Hugh found great satisfaction in being able to help couples and individuals in his counseling ministries. In 1983, the Province asked him to serve as the Society’s Director of Formation in Milwaukee, an office he held for eight years. One focus for him in this position was that, even though fewer of our province members were entering into the teaching profession, he wanted to make sure that the Society’s students maintained high standards in their academic studies as well as in the pastoral training they received. In 1991, Fr. Hugh began teaching Pastoral Counseling at Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology in Hales Corners. He would say (with a sly smile) “The students didn’t always like me very much because of the workload I put on them.” But he wanted to make sure that their connections with future parishioners would be based on down-to-earth interactions and good psychology, not just on theoretical or philosophical approaches. He spent 20 years in this ministry and shared that he “always felt blessed and pleasantly surprised by these students.” Fr. Hugh retired from teaching in 2011 and did help-out ministry at St. Therese’s Parish in Milwaukee. In 2012, he underwent quintuple heart by-pass surgery and spent six weeks in recovery and therapy. In 2015, he moved to Alexian Village where numerous retired Salvatorians were living. The following year, he received the Archbishop Cousins Vocations Award from Sacred Heart Seminary, an award which honors someone who has demonstrated distinguished effort, involvement, and promotion of vocations to the Catholic priesthood. In mid-2025, Fr. Hugh discontinued helping out in parishes, and by early 2026 health issues became more frequent. He spent some time in the health center before returning to his apartment for a few weeks, but in June he was transferred to Milwaukee Catholic Home for more physical therapy. Within a few weeks, it was determined that he was not getting better, and his heart was becoming even weaker. In mid-July he was placed in hospice care. Fr. Hugh died peacefully in the early morning hours of August 14, 2026, the day before what would have been his 91st birthday.

Members and former students describe Fr. Hugh as gentle and even-tempered, a wonderful listener and a devoted priest. His soft-spoken kindness was disarming and made it easy for anyone to confide in him. It’s no wonder he made such an excellent counselor. One thing to note: He was the last remaining priest in our USA Province to have been ordained prior to the start of the Second Vatican Council.

Fr. Hugh was preceded in death by his parents and two sisters, Beverly (Isadore) LuMaye and Frances (Joseph) Bolwerk. He is survived by four sisters, Doreen (Jack) Pease of Portage; Mary (Fred) Malvitz and Theresa (Roger) Kinnard of Sturgeon Bay; Judith (William) Retzer of Manitowoc; numerous nephews and nieces, as well as his Brothers and Sisters in the Salvatorian Family.

Visitation Wednesday, August 26th, from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM at the Holy Spirit Chapel at Avina of Milwaukee, 9301 N. 76th St., Milwaukee, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11:00 AM. Interment will be Wednesday, 3:00 PM at Salvatorian Cemetery in St. Nazianz, WI.