Detroit — From 1967 until recently, the Catholic community at St. Stephen Parish in New Boston could always count on the presence of a loving and humble Fr. Alexander Wytrwal, the parish’s longtime pastor who stepped down in 2005.

“The parish was his life,” said St. Stephen School secretary Debbie Cameron. “He was a very caring person, very dedicated to his parish. We were very fortunate. We got to know him very well.”

Fr. Wytrwal died on March 11 at the age of 87. His health had declined since he had a stroke two years ago.

Until then, however, he was extremely active in the parish community, parishioners said.

“He loved people,” said Cameron, who had Fr. Wytrwal preside at her own wedding, her daughters’ baptisms, and even her daughter’s wedding. “Even after he retired, he would go around and visit people.”

Cameron added that Fr. Wytrwal was at every parish function, and frequented the school.

“He loved the kids here at the school,” she said. “He would sit in the cafeteria and have hot lunch with the kids.”

Fr. John Hedges, the current pastor, had been mentored through most of his life by Fr. Wytrwal, and considers his predecessors as one of the reasons he himself became a priest.

“Father was the meekest man I’d ever met,” Fr. Hedges said. “He was so humble and so open to everyone and kind to everyone. He never had an unkind word about anyone… Wherever he was, he just loved being there.”

Even outside of the Catholic community, Fr. Hedges said Fr. Wytrwal was an “institution” in the small town of New Boston.

He described Fr. Wytrwal as a social man, who loved to take friends out to dinner, and was even known for visiting families and friends late at night.

“It was not unusual for father to come by at 10:30 or 11 at night for a visit,” Fr. Hedges said. “He had unbounded energy.”

It wasn’t only Fr. Wytrwal’s kindness and limitless availability to the community that built his legacy, Fr. Hedges added. Fr. Wytrwal in the 1970s started the popular annual Mass at Michigan Memorial Cemetery in Flatrock — a tradition still kept alive today.

Even beyond that, Fr. Wytrwal seemed to have connections that he valued but didn’t flaunt. He paid several visits to Pope John Paul II over the years. In 1987, when the pope visited the Detroit area, he was even able to see to it that the “popemobile” made its way to the driveway at St. Stephen’s.

Those who knew Fr. Wytrwal also say he was proud of his Polish heritage, and enjoyed teaching those he knew a few words or a song in Polish.

Fr. Wytrwal was born in Detroit in 1923  to Joseph and Nellie Wytrwal. He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Detroit on May 20, 1950.

Before being named pastor of St. Stephen Parish in 1967, he had served as associate pastor at St. Florian Parish, Hamtramck (1950), St. Albertus Parish in Detroit (1950-52), St. Francis Xavier Parish in Ecorse (1952-55), St. Christopher Parish in Detroit (1955-59), St. Louis the King Parish in Detroit (1959-63) and again at St. Albertus Parish from 1963 until 1967.

Fr. Wytrwal is survived by his brother, Dr. Joseph Wytrwal.

Many from the community were on hand March 16 for Fr. Wytrwal’s funeral Mass at St. Stephen. Burial was at Holy Cross Cemetery in Detroit.

Memorial donations may be made to St. Stephen Endowment Fund, P.O. Box 35, New Boston, 48164.