Father William Paul Hill, a priest of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington, died April 15 at Marian Assisted Living in Brookeville, Maryland. He was 88 years old, and next month would have celebrated the 60th anniversary of his ordination.
Father Hill was born on April 9, 1938, Washington, DC. He attended St. Mary's Seminary, both at Paca Street and Roland Park, in Baltimore. He was ordained a priest of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Washington on May 23, 1964, at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle, Washington, DC.
He retired in 2008 after serving 21 years as pastor of St. Pius X Parish in Bowie, Maryland.
“I have wonderful memories of my years there,” Father Hil said of that parish in a 2014 interview with the Catholic Standard when he was celebrating the 50th anniversary of his ordination.
Earlier in his priestly career, Father Hill served as a parochial vicar at Holy Redeemer Parish in Kensington, Maryland from 1964 to 1968 and at St. Mary Parish in Landover Hills, Maryland from 1968 to 1975.
Prior to his assignment to St. Pius X in Bowie, Father Hill served as a pastor at St. John Vianney Parish in Prince Frederick, Maryland from 1975 to 1981. He served as pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish in Washington, D.C. from 1987 to 1987.
Father Hill led St. Pius X Parish from 1987 to 2008, and during his time as pastor there, the congregation added a large addition to the school, which included nine classrooms, a library, media center and art room. Now it is a regional school also serving the children from neighboring Bowie parishes. Father Hill, in that 2014 interview with the Standard, said the parishioners and staff at St. Pius X are good, faithful people dedicated to the Gospel call to love and serve others.
In his retirement – prior to moving to Marian Assisted Living – Father Hil celebrated Mass at St. Nicholas Parish in Laurel, Maryland and assisted at St. Vincent Pallotti High School, also in Laurel.
Serving people of all ages as a parish priest had been a great joy, Father Hill told the Catholic Standard. “I think my greatest joy is preaching the Gospel… It’s that one time of the week when you are speaking to a large number of people in the parish,” he said.
A vigil for Father Hill will be held on Thursday, April 23 at St. Pius X Parish, Bowie, from 3:30 to 7 p.m., with a Vigil Mass at 7 p.m. On Friday, April 24 there will be a viewing at the church beginning at 10 a.m. Washington Cardinal Robert W. McElroy will celebrate the Mass of Christian Burial there at 11 a.m.
Interment will follow at Resurrection Cemetery in Clinton, Maryland on Wednesday, April 29 at 10 a.m.
