William John “Bill” Wegner, a member of St. Veronica Parish,
Howell, and co-founder and president of Good News International, a Catholic lay
movement based in the Diocese of Trenton, died March 18 at age 73.
Mr. Wegner’s Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated March
23 in St. Veronica Church.
Born in 1948 in Newark, Mr. Wegner graduated from St. Rose
High School, Belmar. He earned a bachelor’s degree in education from Monmouth
University, West Long Branch, and a master’s degree in theology from Georgian
Court University, Lakewood.
After owning several businesses and a successful career in
real estate, he devoted his life to spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ as a
Catholic lay evangelist. For nearly 30 years, he traveled across the United
States and other countries conducting parish missions, conferences and tent
revivals and also organized a school of evangelization. He also established the
“Celebrating Our Catholic Faith Tent Revival” held for many years in Monmouth
County. He authored “Dare to Be Holy,” a book detailing his journey into
ministry.
In November 2000, the Sacred Heart Institute presented Mr.
Wegner with the Father Jim Ferry Award for evangelization, and in 2001 he was nominated
for the Pope Pius VI Evangelization Award by the National Catholic Conference
for Evangelization (NCCE) in Washington, D.C.
Mr. Wegner was predeceased by his parents and sister. He is
survived by his wife Cheryl Wegner; a son, Brian (Jen) Wegner; his daughters
Amy Stewart, Erin Garcia and Kati (Jonathan) Shorey; two brothers; 12
grandchildren; five brothers-in-law; three sisters-in-law, and nine nieces and
nephews.