Father William “Bill” Martin hired Denny Farrell in 2007 as parish administrator at Guardian Angels in Oakdale — nine years after the priest joined the parish. A strong friendship formed and, even after Father Martin was reassigned and later retired, Farrell kept in close touch. 

In fact, Farrell was at his friend’s bedside when Father Martin, 74, died Feb. 24 at the assisted living Little Sisters of the Poor’s Holy Family Residence in St. Paul, which Farrell described as “a beautiful place for him to be.”  

“We’re very blessed he was able to be there for almost five years,” Farrell said. 

Father Roger Baumann will be the homilist at the funeral Mass celebrated by Archbishop Bernard Hebda 11 a.m. March 7 at Guardian Angels. Farrell will deliver the eulogy. Visitation begins at 10 a.m. Father Martin will be interred March 8 at Guardian Angels Cemetery. 

Farrell, 78, described Father Martin as a Scripture scholar and an accomplished organist. “He had a beautiful voice where he would literally sing the whole Mass at times,” he said. 

Father Martin composed organ music, sacred organ music, “and he played like you never heard anybody else (do),” Farrell said. Organ music was part of who Father Martin was, he said. He recalled the electronic organ that mimicked a pipe organ Father Martin purchased while at Guardian Angels. “Boy, he could make that thing talk,” Farrell said. Father Martin often played it on Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings, filling the church with organ music. Farrell said that was a spiritual time for the priest. 

Father Martin will be remembered for his love of music and his love for dogs, Farrell said, including a St. Bernard named Kris Kringle he had while at Guardian Angels. When he left St. Richard in 2013, parishioners gave Father Martin a rescue dog he named Richie. 

The priest was a gentle man known for his “extremely dry” sense of humor, Farrell said. “He’s probably the best punster I’ve heard.”  

Father Martin was considerably older than most of his seven siblings and “most never knew him,” including some not yet born when he went to the former Holy Cross Seminary in La Crosse, Wisconsin, at age 13. Father Martin was always closest to his mother, Farrell said.  

Before Father Martin left Guardian Angels for his next assignment, parishioners donated money to send him and his mother on a two-week trip to the Holy Land, a long-time dream for Father Martin. “To this day, he would tell you it’s the greatest thing that ever happened to him,” Farrell said. “He was such a Scripture scholar,” he said, “and you would have thought we had given him $10 million.” 

When he served at Guardian Angels and at St. Mary in Waverly, Father Martin memorized parishioners’ birthdays and wedding anniversaries, and greeted them at church with best wishes, Farrell said. At the smaller St. Mary congregation, he’d do so while walking up to the pews before Mass.  

A former alter server at Guardian Angels, Noah Eberhard, discussed his interest in music with Father Martin when the young man was in high school. Father Martin suggested he learn organ music, Farrell said. Father Martin tutored him as did the parish music director at the time, Roger Stratton.  

When Father Martin could no longer play the organ, he gave his sheet music to Eberhard — “some of his compositions and all the organ music that he loved dearly and played on those Friday afternoons and Saturday mornings,” Farrell said. 

Back in 2019, when Eberhard was home from college on a break, Farrell coordinated a surprise visit, during which Father Martin and some of the residents and sisters gathered to listen to “someone” who wanted to play music for them. When Noah started playing, “Father was emotionally just almost overwhelmed,” Farrell said. “I think Father cried through the whole thing.” 

Father Martin was legally blind “for probably 30 years,” said Farrell, which meant later in his life, he could no longer say Mass. Farrell said he believes Father Martin “kind of died of a broken heart, too” because he could no longer “do all of his priestly duties.” “He told me, ‘This is why I’m on this earth and I can’t say Mass,’ which was extremely frustrating for him.”   

So, Farrell talked with the sisters about having Father Martin provide reconciliation or anointing of the sick or be there when a resident wanted to talk with a priest. 

Following his ordination June 3, 1978, Father Martin served as pastor of St. Margaret in Minneapolis from 1978 to 1980, assistant priest at Christ the King in Minneapolis from 1980 to 1986, pastor of St. Mary in Waverly from 1986 to 1998, pastor of Guardian Angels from 1998 to 2011, and pastor of St. Richard in Richfield from 2011 until his retirement Nov. 28, 2013. 

Father Baumann, now retired, succeeded Father Martin at Guardian Angels. He observed and heard from parish staff members that Father Martin was “a very collaborative kind of pastor.” “I think he respected the gifts and the talents that … staff members brought to their ministries,” Father Baumann said. 

Father Baumann also was struck by Father Martin’s intellect, “his great love for the liturgy and a great knowledge for the liturgical life of the Church.”