Fr. John "Jerry" Berger

Reverend Father John Gerald Berger, age 81 of Green Isle passed away Wednesday evening, April 27, 2022 at Ridgeview Medical Center in Waconia. Mass of Christian Burial will be 11:00 a.m. Saturday, May 7th at St. Brendan’s Catholic Church in Green Isle with interment in the church cemetery. Visitation will be 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Friday, May 6th at St. Brendan’s Catholic Church.

John Gerald Berger was born in Green Isle on June 12, 1940 to Earl John and Irene Catherine (Young) Berger. He attended and graduated from Arlington – Green Isle High School in 1959. He attended Nazareth Hall in St. Paul 1959-1961 followed by St. Paul Seminary 1961-1967. He was ordained on February 19, 1967 at St. Brendan’s Catholic Church in Green Isle. His parish assignments included St. Anastasia of Hutchinson, St. Mary of Willmar, Sacred Heart of Franklin, St. Willibrord of Gibbon, St. Paul of Nicollet, St. Michael of Gaylord, St. Francis de Sales of Winthrop, St. Gregory the Great of Lafayette, St. George of West Newton Township. Fr. Jerry was in residence at St. Brendan’s of Green Isle 2012-2022. His Diocesan assignments included Judicial Vicar 1973-2015, Vice Chancellor 1979-2008, Diocesan Administrator 2000-2001. He attended two Sabbatical Programs for Priests: North American College in Rome, September – December 1984 and Tantur Ecumenical Center in Jerusalem, September – December 1995. Fr. Jerry also authored “A History of St. Brendan’s Parish”, “The Village of Green Isle” and “Minnesota’s First Irish Settlement”.

Fr. Jerry is survived by his brother and sister-in-law, Jim (Patti O’Neil) Berger of Minnetonka and nephews, Patrick (Cathy) Berger, Michael (Laura) Berger and Daniel Berger.