October 18, 1998

Msgr. Joseph Gerstenkorn

Msgr. Gerstenkorn was born in Redwing, KS on January 29, 1907 and attended Holy Family School in Odin, KS. He did his seminary studies at St. Lawrence Seminary, Mount Calvary, WI and Kenrick Seminary, St. Louis, MO before his ordination at St. Mary’s Cathedral on May 26, 1934. After serving as an assistant at St. Patrick Parish in Parsons he was assigned as pastor to Offerle with St. Mary’s as a mission. His following assignment was to Conway Springs after which he became founding pastor of two parishes in Wichita: Christ the King in 1950 and St. Francis of Assisi in 1957. From 1967 to 1975 he was pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Parish in Andover and from 1975 to 1984 he was pastor of St. Mary’s Parish in Aleppo. In 1957 he was named a monsignor and from 1964 to 1967 was Diocesan Director of Cemeteries. Msgr. Gerstenkorn retired in 1984 and lived at the Priest Retirement Center until his death on October 18, 1998. His funeral Mass was celebrated at Christ the King Parish in Wichita and he was buried at Resurrection Cemetery in Wichita.