A Lesson from Fr. George J. Willmann

By Past Supreme Knight Virgil C. Dechant
I remember he used to tell me when I was Supreme Secretary that I should not worry so much about collecting the per capita tax from the councils in the Philippines. His argument was that a dollar would do so much more in the Philippines providing for the welfare of the unfortunate than it could in the United States. I believed that throughout my whole career I practiced and also preached about this lesson he taught me.
I first met Father Willmann in 1966 and was associated with him until his death in 1977. I believe Father Willmann displayed Christian virtues everyday of his life. His personal health surely caused him much discomfort but he never showed any sign of despair in this regard.
Father Willmann was very concerned and involved in family life, the poor and underprivileged, the sick and the handicapped, the orphans and the desolate, the prisoners and the oppressed, and the underprivileged youth, He led the Knights of Columbus in the Philippines in working to alleviate the distress and the situations that many people found themselves in.
It would be my impression that Father Willmann was firm but charitable in all his relations with the people he worked with. Evidence of this is the tremendous growth of the Order in the Philippines based so much on the foundation that he laid down when he was Philippine Deputy and the lessons of Charity, Unity and Fraternity that he inculcated in its members.
Father Willmann certainly was a man of compassion. All his works for the Knights of Columbus related to his belief that the Knights of Columbus would involve laymen in the life of the Church and in the needs of society.
Father Willmann was too humble to accept praise or recognition for his accomplishments. I doubt that he was fond of publicity for personal reasons.
I certainly consider Father Willmann possessing all the virtues, character and traits of a saintly person. Coming from New York he spent practically his whole life working in the Philippines with the needy. Even his sister who was a professed religious went to the Philippines to assist him in much of his works. After having died in New York, the fact that he chose to be buried in the Philippines showed his love for the people in that great land.
In all my contacts with him I always felt I was dealing with a saintly person.