Father Todd Arnberg was full of faithfulness and integrity, serving “in the spirit of the original apostles following in the footsteps of Jesus and St. Paul.”

According to Father Todd’s friend of 57 years, Father Charles Hammond, Father Todd clung to the motto “The best is yet to come” in his last few months of life. Father Todd died May 8 in his residence in Lone Tree, Colorado.

Father Charles, who served as homilist during Father Todd’s funeral, says Father Todd “was a dedicated and faithful friend; a priest with a noble character, a simplicity of life that was born of compassion for the poor, and a sense of humor that was down to earth.”

“I cannot describe in words the many hearts he touched during 43 years of priestly service in Michigan, rural southern Mexico and Texas,” he said.

Father Todd spent half of his service as a religious order priest and the other half as a diocesan priest.

Father Todd and Father Charles had a close friendship and expressed deep gratitude for the privilege of being able to serve in the Diocese of Saginaw from 1998 to 2019 at the invitation of Bishop Kenneth Untener.

Father Todd’s assignments for the Diocese of Saginaw included administration work and serving as pastor for the parishes of St. Philip Neri, Coleman and St. Anne, Edenville and serving as pastor at Mary of the Immaculate Conception Parish, St. Charles; St. Mary’s Parish, Albee; St. Patrick’s Parish, Palms and St. Mary Parish, Parisville.

Father Todd and Father Charles served together for many years in Michigan’s Thumb area, nicknamed by the friends “The Galilee of Saginaw.”

“Our little motto was to have fun in the Thumb. We were truly blessed by the people we served,” Father Charles said.

Sister Margo Tafoya, MSSp, recalled his kind spirit.

“I remember him as a gentle man and priest,” Sister Margo said. “He had a heart of love for those he served.”

Father Todd was born in Colorado Springs on April 3, 1949 to Howard and Elizabeth Arnberg. He attended St. Mary University in San Antonio, Texas and earned a bachelor’s in philosophy from Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. He studied theology at the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio and was ordained as a priest for the Oblates of Mary Immaculate at Mary Immaculate in Farmers Branch, Texas, by Bishop Thomas Tschoepe. He was incardinated into the Diocese of Saginaw on July 9, 2001.

His priesthood also included a Scripture study tour of the Holy Land in 1986, mission trips to Mexico, parish work in Falfurrias and Corpus Christi, Texas, and serving as pastor in Rio Grande City, Houston and Lamesa, Texas. He spoke both English and Spanish.

A funeral Mass was celebrated for Father Todd on June 14 at All Saints Parish, St. James Church in Bay City, followed by burial at the priests’ section of St. Patrick’s Cemetery in Bay City.

May Father Todd rest in eternal peace.