Reverend Father Francis Jerome Steffen entered eternal life on December 28, 2020 at the age of 89, at Edenbrook Nursing Home in Platteville, Wisconsin. He was born on November 18, 1931 in Platteville, Wisconsin, and is predeceased by his parents, Frank and Florence (Klar) Steffen, by his sister, Rosemary (Elmer) Digman, and his step-mother, Clara Steffen (Bussan, Tesmer).
After attending Sunnydale Rural Grade School in Belmont Township, and then St. Mary Parish Grade School, Platteville, Fr. Steffen attended Loras High School in Dubuque, Iowa. He completed his collegiate studies at Loras College, Dubuque, Iowa, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy in 1953. He attended St. Francis Major Seminary, Saint Francis, Wisconsin, for theological studies. After ordination, he subsequently earned a Master of Arts in Library Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Fr. Steffen was ordained to the sacred priesthood by The Most Reverend William P. O’Connor, Bishop of Madison, on May 25, 1957 at St. Raphael Cathedral, Madison.
Fr. Steffen began serving in the Diocese of Madison as a Parochial Vicar at St. Stanislaus Parish, Berlin, and Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Parish, Sun Prairie. He then became a librarian and instructor at Holy Name Seminary for 18 years before serving as a Parochial Vicar at the Cathedral Parish of St. Raphael. Fr. Steffen became Pastor of Holy Ghost Parish, Dickeyville and later Rector of the Cathedral Parish of St. Raphael, before returning as Pastor of Holy Ghost Parish, Dickeyville, while later concurrently and additionally serving as a temporary Parochial Administrator of Immaculate Conception Parish, Kieler, and St. Joseph Parish, Sinsinawa. Subsequently, he served as the Pastor of both Holy Ghost Parish, Dickeyville and Immaculate Conception Parish, Kieler. He retired from active parish ministry in 2007. During his years of service to the Diocese of Madison, Fr. Steffen served as the head of the music department at Holy Name Seminary, a college spiritual director at Holy Name Seminary, Chair of the Diocesan Music Committee, Chaplain to the Dominic Club, Chairman of the Wisconsin Association of School Librarians, Chaplain to the Diocesan Singles Ministry, board member of the Methodist Retirement Center, Chair of the Diocesan Office of Conciliation Arbitration Committee, Dean of the Grant County Deanery, and Co-Chaplain of the Serra Club of Madison.
The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Mary Catholic Church, 130 W. Cedar St., Platteville, Wisconsin, on Thursday, December 31, 2020 at 11:00 am. The Most Reverend Donald J. Hying, Bishop of Madison, will celebrate the Holy Mass, with Deacon Larry Tranel as homilist. The Funeral Mass will be live streamed through Facebook on the funeral home page at Casey-McNett Funeral Home & Cremation Services. A visitation at St. Mary Catholic Church will be held on Thursday, December 31, 2020 from 9:00 am until the start of the Holy Mass. Burial will take place at Calvary Catholic Cemetery, Platteville, Wisconsin. In lieu of flowers, a Fr. Francis J. Steffen Memorial Fund has been established.