December 2, 1943Msgr. John KraemerMsgr. Kraemer was born in Chicago on September 23, 1893. He attended grade school in his home parish of St. Michael’s and attended seminary at St. Joseph’s Seminary, Teutopolis, IL, St. Mary’s Seminary, La Porte, TX and St. Meinrad’s Seminary, IN. Bishop Hennessey o
December 2, 1979Msgr. William SchaefersMsgr. Schaefers was born in Muenster, Westphalia, Germany on February 12, 1891 but moved with his family to the United States. “Following periods in a trade school and a commercial college, he spent four years traveling and working at odd jobs, and living a kin
December 3, 1991Father Albert EssweinFather Esswein was born in St. Louis, MO on June 26, 1911 where he later attended Kenrick Seminary. “At the time of Fr. Esswein’s ordination, the Archdiocese of St. Louis had an excess of priests and (he) asked to serve in the Diocese of Wichita.” (The Catholic A
December 4, 1920Father Joseph BognerFather Bogner was born on June 1, 1879 in Bavaria and when he was six years old his parents moved to Oklahoma and then to Andale, Kansas. After studying at the Pontifical College Josephium in Columbus, OH he was ordained on June 9, 1906. He celebrated his First Ma
December 4, 1956Father John KellyFather Kelly was born on October 28, 1890 in Fort Augustus on Prince Edward Island, Canada. He attended St. Dunstan’s University at Charlottetown, Canada and the Grand Seminary in Montreal, Canada where he was ordained for the Diocese of Wichita on February 2, 1919.
December 4, 1979Father Joseph GoracyFather Goracy was born in Cologne, Germany, on November 1, 1908. After studying at the American College at the University of Louvain, he was ordained for the Diocese of Wichita on July 4, 1937. He served as an assistant in Colwich and as an instructor at Sacred He
December 6, 1918Father Ernst B. HoellgerFather Hoellger was born in Schakehaven, East Prussia on November 5, 1887. He studied for the priesthood in Meran, Tyrol; Brixen, Tyrol; and St. Meinrad, IN. Bishop Joseph Chartrand, Bishop of Indianapolis, ordained him for the Diocese of Wichita on April 23,
December 7, 1957Father Daniel KenneallyFather Kenneally was born on May 3, 1883 at Cloyne, County Cork, Ireland where he lived until he was 18 years of age. In preparation for ordination to the priesthood he studied at Mt. Melleray in Cappoquin, Ireland; Collegio Brignole in Genoa, Italy; and St. Pa
December 8, 1971 Father Neil DiverFather Diver was born in Chicago on August 1, 1916 and was ordained for the Diocese of Wichita at St. John’s Cathedral in Milwaukee on November 30th, 1943. Before becoming pastor at Oswego and Chetopa, he was an assistant at Holy Name Parish in Coffeyville, a chapla
December 9, 1995Father Leroy MatzFather Matz was born on February 15, 1917 in Cicero, IL. After attending Conception Seminary, Conception, MO he was ordained by Bishop Winkelmann at Sacred Heart Convent Chapel in Wichita on June 1, 1946. He served as an assistant at St. Patrick Parish in Parsons and
December 9, 2014Father Francis CoxFather Cox was born on Sept. 17, 1925, in the village of Roscommon, Tarmanbarry County, Ireland. He studied at and was ordained at Saint Patrick Seminary in Carlow. Father Cox first served as an assistant at St. John Parish in El Dorado and was assigned the next yea
December 11, 1907Father Anthony AbelFather Abel was born on November 11, 1833 in Burgass, Bavaria, Germany. He served in the German Army for four years before coming to the United States where, he taught French, German, Greek, Spanish, Latin, and English in Cleveland, Ohio. He was ordained by Bishop
December 11, 1976Father Joseph DonohoeFather Donohoe was born on January 17, 1914 in Brooklyn, NY. After working in a brokerage business for fifteen years and serving in the Air Force for almost four years, he attended St. Francis Seminary in Loretto, PA and was ordained a Franciscan priest on May 2
December 12, 1981 Father Clifford LandisFather Landis was born in Wichita on August 11, 1914. After studying at Conception Seminary, Conception, Mo., Bishop Winkelman ordained him on June 1, 1946 at Sacred Heart College Chapel in Wichita. As an assistant he was assigned to Great Bend, Dodge City, an
December 13, 1953Msgr. Thomas MaherMsgr. Maher was born on June 13, 1878 at Brighthouse, Yorkshire, England. He studied for the priesthood at the College of Glastonbury in England, the University of Appolinaris in Rome and the Ecclesiastical College of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in France.
December 13, 2003Father John RusteikaFather Rusteika was born on June 30, 1919 in South Boston, MA. After completing his theological studies at St. Meinrad Seminary, St. Meinrad, IN, he was ordained for the Diocese of Wichita at St. Peter’s Parish in South Boston on Aug. 24, 1945 by Archbishop Richa
December 16, 1980Msgr. Leon McNeillMsgr. McNeill was born on October 29, 1902 in Guthrie, OK and received his early education in San Bernardino, CA and St. Mary School in Newton, KS. After attending St. Benedict College in Atchison, KS and St. Meinrad Seminary, St. Meinrad, IN, he was ordained by Bi
December 16, 2006Father Daniel MulvihillFather Mulvihill was born in Listowel, County Kerry, Ireland, on August 18, 1927. He did his seminary studies at St. Michael’s College, Listowel; Mungret College, Limerick; and Kenrick Seminary, St. Louis, MO. By being ordained by Bishop Carroll at St. Mary’s
December 17, 2006Father Robert KocourFather Kocour was born on July 16, 1926 in Andale, KS where he also received his early education. Following two years of military service he entered Conception Seminary, Conception, MO to prepare for his ordination by Bishop Carroll on May 29, 1954 at St. Joseph
December 18, 1951Father Patrick J. NagleFather Nagle was born on March 17, 1875 in County Cork, Ireland. He prepared for ordination at St. Melleray Seminary, Waterford, Ireland and the American College in Louvain, Belgium, where he was ordained for the Diocese of Wichita on July 15, 1900. After two
December 19, 1904Father Francis J. WattronFather Wattron was a priest in Kansas for forty years with thirty of those years at Fort Scott. Due to an illness that was to plague him for the last ten years of his life, he was forced to retire. He was bedfast the last two years of his life. On December 1
December 20, 1911 Father Bernard HudsonFather Hudson was born in County Longford, Ireland in 1844 and studied for the priesthood at All Hallows Seminary in Dublin. Bishop Fink ordained him a priest in Leavenworth in 1879. Some of the places he served were Blaine, Irish Creek, Perry, and Scammon. Due
December 22, 1945 Father Joseph ManzFather Manz was born in Ellwangen, Wuerttenburg, Germany, on July 8, 1872. His studies for the priesthood were at the major seminary at Eichstatt and in Louvain, Belgium. He was ordained for the Diocese of Leavenworth at Louvain on July 29, 1895. After brief assig
Dec. 22, 2010 Father Walter Karrer, C.Ss.R.Father Walter Karrer was a Redemptorist priest who served St. Joseph Parish, Wichita, for 17 years. He retired in 2008 and died in Liguori, Mo. He was born on Aug. 16, 1920, in Detroit, Michigan, and studied at the Redemptorist seminary in Oconomowoc, Wisc.
