Despite liver disease, bishop gives his all to Sacramento church

Published: 2004-02-02

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CNS) -- Despite a chronic liver disease he has lived with since 1981, Bishop William K. Weigand of Sacramento has regularly put in six-day weeks during his 10 years as head of the northern California diocese. The 66-year-old bishop had no special celebration to mark his 10th anniversary Jan. 27, only a prayer service and reception with diocesan staff prior to that date. Earlier in January, he told his brothers, as well as clergy and staff of the diocese, that the liver ailment he has lived with for 23 years -- primary sclerosing cholangitis -- has slowly progressed. His doctors have discussed with him the possibility of a liver transplant in the future. "From a faith perspective, it's always seemed to be God's will that this disease has progressed so slowly with me," said Bishop Weigand in an interview with the Catholic Herald, Sacramento diocesan newspaper. For the past five-and-a-half years, he has been receiving treatment every six to 10 weeks at the medical center at the University of California-San Francisco for what is an uncommon disease. It is progressive -- abnormal formation of fibrous tissue blocks the passages that drain bile in the liver and out of the liver through the bile ducts to the intestine.

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