Swenson shepherded St. Bridget flock

On the Web site of St. Bridget Catholic Church, the Rev. James L. Swenson, the parish's longtime pastor, is described as both "feisty" and "charismatic."

Parishioners and anybody else acquainted with him know both adjectives to be accurate. Undeniably old school, Swenson was committed to his faith, witty and, for those who knew him, unforgettable.

Swenson, 79, who shepherded his congregation at St. Bridget through times of both scarcity and plenty, died Wednesday. He had suffered from heart and kidney problems in recent years.

"He was a strong man of faith," said the Rev. Bede Wevita, pastor of St. John Neumann Catholic Church in North Las Vegas.

Swenson was "a man of prayer," Wevita said, and someone who "was not afraid to tell the truth."

In a December Review-Journal story, Swenson recalled his birth in Kansas City and being raised by nuns in a Catholic orphanage. After serving in the Army during the occupation of Japan, Swenson completed high school and college in San Francisco and worked as an accountant for the city of San Francisco.

At the age of 40, Swenson entered the seminary. On Jan. 4, 1974, he was ordained a priest in the then-Diocese of Reno-Las Vegas. He served at parishes in Reno, rural Nevada and, locally, at St. Anne and Our Lady of Las Vegas before coming to St. Bridget in 1984.

Early during Swenson's tenure at St. Bridget, located a few miles east of downtown Las Vegas, the church was slated for closing because of declining attendance and anemic finances. However, Swenson was convinced that the already declining neighborhood needed St. Bridget.

"Little by little, he purchased the properties around the church," Wevita said. In the Review-Journal story, Swenson also confessed to burying a statue of St. Joseph, a measure some Catholics believe can favorably hasten real estate sales.

On Feb. 3, St. Bridget's parishioners celebrated the dedication of their new sanctuary. Although Swenson was too ill to attend the dedication Mass, the new church was filled to overflowing. Today, the parish's membership numbers more than 500 families.

"He was committed to (a new church) and his prayers were answered," Wevita said. "It's a miracle that it happened, and it's a beautiful church."

Swenson also spearheaded the creation of a Perpetual Adoration chapel at St. Bridget. There, Catholics -- and, Swenson discovered, people of other faiths -- may spend private time with the Blessed Sacrament any hour of the day, seven days a week, every day of the year.

In that December Review-Journal story, Swenson offered his own explanation for why, in all the years it has been open, there never has been an instance of vandalism at the chapel.

"When you do the right thing," he said, "things have a way of working out."

For parishioners, a defining characteristic of Swenson was his joy at being a Catholic and a Christian and his desire to instill that joy in others. As pastor, he encouraged the celebration of Hispanic, Filipino and other ethnic traditions at St. Bridget, and Masses there were said in English, Latin, Spanish and Tagalog.

At Christmas, Swenson called the new St. Bridget church "a miracle."

"It's just wonderful," he said. "I'm thrilled to death. I don't know what else to say other than (that) we will help even more people in the future."

Services for Swenson will be at St. Bridget Catholic Church, 220 N. 14th St. At 5 p.m. Monday, a rite of reception of the deceased will be held, followed by a vigil service and vespers at 6 p.m. and then all-night visitation.

A funeral Mass for Swenson will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

Burial will follow.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the St. Vincent's Dining Room, Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada, 1501 N. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas, NV 89109 or the Catholic Worker House, 5400 W. Van Buren Street, Las Vegas, NV 89106.