Msgr. Michael Woster

Michael Woster was born in 1950. He grew up on a ranch next to Reliance, South Dakota. With a total of eight kids, the 7 of his brothers and sisters helped raise cattle. Collie, Cocker, and Dog worked for them as their “hired hand”. They also grew barley, oats, wheat, milo and corn. Growing up, Michael wanted to be a rodeo rider. His mother was a country school teacher, and she taught a famous cowboy in her class- Casey Tibbs. He met his “hero” when he was 8 years old. Msgr. Michael’s parents were strong Christians. He and his siblings had expectations for chores and school work, but were loving and fair growing up.

While in high school, he was involved in track and basketball– he recollects being too small for football. One of his favorite childhood memories is making a critical shot playing on the sophomore basketball team and receiving lots of praise. Others called him “Woose” growing up. In 1963-1964, he remembers hearing the Beatles for the first time, and a new passion started to take over rodeo. He taught himself to play guitar at the age of 13 and his love for rock-n-roll continues to this day. He graduated from Chamberlain High School in 1968.

After high school, he went to Northern State College for one year. He dropped out not knowing what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. Michael was then drafted for the Vietnam War in Asia. He served for 2 years where he was educated and trained in infrastructure work. He was lucky to have no combat, but worked in the training center for those forming into the military administering psychological tests to help find the best suited job for young men in the military. This is one of the positions he held that formed him into the strong counselor he continues to be today. During his life, he had no intentions of being a priest. He admitted to not living a very Christian life during his time in the army. Nearing the end of deployment, he started thinking more about his life. He was slowly convinced to do work with ministry in the Catholic Church.

10 years of his past 4 decades as a priest were spent in Spearfish, South Dakota. When he was reflecting, he came to the conclusion that he administered 600+ weddings and over 1000 baptisms. This creates a strong bond between him and the families that he serves. One of his proudest moments as a priest was being named Vicar General in Rapid– he became the right hand of the bishop. And while the bishop was on leave, Msgr. was named the active bishop and able to go to Rome. There, he met with Pope John Paul II to share all of the Rapid City Diocese happenings. Some of Msgr. Michael’s achievements that earned his title as “Monsignor” were overseeing the fruition from idea to school of St. Thomas Moore in Rapid City, and the Black Hills State Newman Center here in Spearfish.

Though 72 years old with two hip replacements, he doesn’t let that stop him from living life to the fullest. He played in a band called Michael and the Faithful for nearly 15 years, and continued that love with Black Sheep and the Shepherd band here in Spearfish. He tackled one of his bucket list items riding his motorcycle across the Florida Keys, and still wants to ride from Piedmont, SD where he resides all the way to Fairbanks, Alaska! He has traveled to Spain, Portugal, Rome, the Holy Land in Israel, and spent 2 years in Canada earning his second Master’s Degree in Canon Law. Modeled well through his 40 years in Catholic ministry, his philosophy in being a pastor was to look at all people and see their gifts and talents, and then challenge them to go into the community to use their strengths to impact it. He spends his retirement continuing to challenge those around him to do everything they possibly can to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself.