Obituaries

Madison - Reverend Father Roger Gabriel Nilles entered peacefully to eternal life on August 4, 2023 at the age of 90 at St. John’s on the Lake in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was born on June 9, 1933 in Madison, Wisconsin. Father Nilles is survived by many beloved nieces and nephews and predeceased by his parents, Mathias John and Anna Marie, née Omson, and his siblings: Ruth (Nilles) Dollhausen, James E. Nilles, and Joan (Nilles) Gebhardt.

According to Robert Booth Fowler in Catholics On State Street, “One was Fr. Roger Nilles, who served for a decade starting in 1967. From Madison, Fr. Nilles came to St. Paul’s when he was thirty-three years old with some Catholic service experience behind him, and he was known as a friendly, level-headed, down-to-earth, stable participant in the life of St. Paul’s in those heady days. He was not at the forefront of political or Christian Radicalism, but he seemed to understand others who were and was well known and appreciated for his ability to work calmly with all sorts of priests, students, and community members. While at St. Paul’s he studied for and received his Ph.D. in counseling and guidance. He was often involved with counseling students and others, and his 1:30 p.m. Mass was a popular one. When he left St. Paul’s he continued in the priesthood, retiring in 2010 as the longtime and fondly regarded pastor of St. Peter’s in east Madison.”

After attending Grade School at St. James, Madison, and High School at St. Francis Minor Seminary, Milwaukee, Fr. Nilles attended St. Francis Seminary, Milwaukee; received an undergraduate degree from Loras College, Dubuque, Iowa; and a Master’s Degree from the Theological College of the Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., He earned a Doctorate in Education from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Fr. Nilles was ordained to the sacred priesthood by The Most Reverend William P. O’Connor, Bishop of Madison, May 30, 1959 at St. Raphael Cathedral, Madison.

Fr. Nilles began serving in the Diocese of Madison as Associate Pastor of St. Paul Parish, Beloit and St. Paul University Parish, Madison. He continued his service in the diocese as Pastor of St. Francis Xavier Parish, Lake Mills, with Mission of St. Mary Magdalene, Johnson Creek; St. Victor Parish, Monroe, and St. Peter Parish, Madison, where he retired from full-time active ministry as Pastor Emeritus. He also served as an Instructor and Assistant Principal at Beloit Catholic High School, Beloit; as Priest Senate-President; on the Conciliation and Arbitration Board, and on the St. Raphael Board.

In retirement, Fr. Nilles continued to serve the community at St. Peter Catholic Church when he was needed to fill in for a Mass, funeral, or wedding. He additionally continued offering communion to residents at Mendota Mental Health.

The Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at St. Peter Catholic Church, 5001 N. Sherman Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin, on Monday, August 14, 2023 at 11:00 am. The Most Reverend Donald J. Hying, Bishop of Madison, will celebrate the Holy Mass, with The Reverend Father Kevin Dooley as homilist. Visitation at St. Peter Catholic Church will be held on Sunday August 13, 2023 from 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm with a prayer service at 7:30 pm, and on Monday, August 14, 2023 from 9:00 am until shortly before the Funeral Mass. A luncheon will be served at the parish hall immediately following the Mass. Interment will take place after the funeral luncheon at Resurrection Cemetery, 2705 Regent St., Madison. In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made payable to St. Paul Catholic Student Center, Madison.

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Ryan Funeral Home & Cremation Services

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