Father William "Bill" Logan Elliott

The death of Father Bill Elliott, recently retired Administrator of St. Joseph’s Parish, Loch Lomond, occurred in Bobby’s Hospice, on Wednesday, February 3, 2016. Father Bill was born in Saint John, NB, on November 11, 1934, one of 5 children of Walter J. “Dates” and Charlotte O. (Logan) Elliott. He grew up in the East End of Saint John, a community which shaped his future ministry as a priest over many decades. He was ordained a priest on June 10, 1961 as a member of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. His first assignment was to minister to the Nootka First Nation, on Vancouver Island, from 1961-1965. He then served in Peru from 1966-1977 as a pastor, and leader in the development of parish cooperative centres and agricultural co-ops. From 1977-1979, he worked full time in the development of Worldwide Marriage Encounter. From 1979-1985 he ministered at the Oblate Retreat Centre in San Antonio, Texas. In 1985 he was appointed pastor of Holy Family Parish, Corpus Christi, Texas, where he served until 1990 greatly expanding the parish, fostering family-based religious education and setting up numerous base communities. From Corpus Christi he moved to the East End of Austin, Texas where he served as pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish from 1991-2001. With a passionate and prophetic spirit, he brought new life to the original Hispanic parish of Austin, increasing its size, facilities, outreach and Christian life especially through RCIA, family-based religious education, social ministry and active lay ministry. He also fought hard for the East End Austin neighborhood to keep it affordable and well served by the city. He never forgot the dismantling of the East End of Saint John and did not want to see that happen to the East End of Austin. In 2002, Father Bill returned to his home Diocese of Saint John where he was appointed Administrator of St. Joseph’s Parish in Loch Lomond. He brought his experience of parish life elsewhere to St. Joseph’s fostering family-based religious education, RCIA, and active lay ministry. He worked hard with the parish to bring about the dream and construction of the H.O.P.E. Centre. In August 2015, he retired from active ministry for reasons of health at the age of eighty and in his fifty-fifth year of priesthood. When Father Bill left a former parish, he was quoted as saying “I am a starter, not a finisher; the task belongs to someone else now.” His words still stand as he leaves this world.

In addition to his parents he was predeceased by his brothers John, Douglas and Frederick.

He is survived by his brother Don Elliott (Nancy) of Saint John; sister-in-law Eileen Elliott (the late Frederick Elliott) of New Hampshire; several nieces and nephews; and many friends.

Resting at the H.O.P.E. Centre, 4347 Loch Lomond Road, Saint John, NB on Monday, February 8, 2016 from 1 to 8 p.m.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be held from St. Joseph’s Church on Tuesday, February 9, 2016 at 11 a.m. followed by a reception in the H.O.P.E. Centre.  Interment will take place in St. William’s Cemetery, St. Martins, NB in the spring. Remembrances in memory of Father Bill made to the H.O.P.E. Centre, Bobby’s Hospice, and AIDS Saint John or to the charity of the donor’s choice. Arrangements are under the direction of Fundy Funeral Home, 230 Westmorland Road, Saint John, NB (646-2424).

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