Carmelita celebra 50 años como monja

Friday, Sep. 19, 2025

HOLLADAY — Bill Morris, a St. Vincent de Paul parishioner, spent the early years of his career as an Army public affairs officer. One of his most memorable experiences of that time was being live on the air when President John F. Kennedy was shot. 

“It was really a weird feeling on my part, because I felt like I was being part of history as far as the listenership for this particular radio station,” Morris said. “I was in Petersburg, Va., and I got calls from people saying, ‘Hey, is it true?’  And I’d say, ‘Yeah, well, that’s the information we have.’”

Following his stint in the Army, Morris filled several positions in law enforcement, including 29 years as a Salt Lake County Sheriff’s deputy, time as a Midvale detective and as a special investigator for the attorney general’s office, along with positions as a parole officer and a court bailiff. 

Serving others became a way of life for the now nearly 84-year-old, who still feels he has much to give despite dealing with mobility issues after losing his right foot after complications from ankle surgeries. 

“My experience, back from my law enforcement time, is senior citizens who just sit in a recliner and vegetate and watch TV don’t live very long, and I still think I’ve got some productive time left in me,” Morris said.

Among the ways he stays productive is serving as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion in his parish, taking the Eucharist to residents at Abbington Senior Living Center, and filling in at local hospitals for other ministers. 

In his ministry he uses the Magnificat, a monthly Catholic publication that contains the daily Mass readings, prayers, reflections, and essays on the lives of saints.  

“I consider myself as an ordinary person attempting to impart extraordinary information to people who need to hear it as the Lord may lead me,” he said.

Additionally, for the past year Morris has volunteered two days a week as an ombudsman for Salt Lake County Aging Services. In that role, he regularly visits senior living centers and works to ensure those facilities are following state and federal guidelines and provide the best possible care for their residents. He uses his many years of experience and the skills he developed in the Army and in law enforcement. 

He recently received training in helping people who might be considering suicide, something that he dealt with in his law enforcement career. That experience enables him to know what to say to those who are contemplating ending their lives, he said.

“What I try to do is tell them, ‘Think about family members, particularly children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, whatever. If you take your own life, they’re going to have to live with that memory for the rest of their life,’” he said. “And that’s something a lot of people who are contemplating suicide only think about: themselves and their interest in solving their problem.”

He also finds that some of the trials he has endured give him a perspective that helps many of the seniors he interacts with. The father of two sons who live locally, Morris lost his wife Barbara in 2021 to complications of dementia. As an ombudsman, he encounters others who are dealing with similar issues and is able to offer them a compassionate shoulder to lean on.

His faith also helps in his position. “I think it kind of gives me an anchor,” he said. 

Morris, who was raised a Baptist, was introduced to the Catholic Church at the funeral of a friend’s daughter who had died by suicide. At that Mass, Father John Norman, now a retired priest of the Diocese of Salt Lake City, gave the homily and Morris was struck by the priest’s sensitivity, he said.

“I was just totally impressed with the way he did that,” Morris said. “He never mentioned the word suicide. He did this funeral service without mentioning once the cause of death and just talked about her life and her family. After the service, I mentioned it to Fr. Norman. I said, ‘You know, I was really impressed with the way you conducted that, knowing the circumstance that you knew about.’ And he said, ‘Well, that’s my job.’”

Shortly after, Morris began taking RCIA classes; he was accepted into the Church at the 2019 Easter vigil.

Morris is also a chaplain for the Utah Peace Officers Association, where he offers prayers at their monthly meetings and assists in any way he can.  In his spare time, he rides his electric four-wheel scooter in a local park “to commune with nature and get some fresh air,” he said.