December 2, 1979
Msgr. William Schaefers
Msgr. 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 kind of nomadic existence.” (The Catholic Advance, Dec. 6, 1979) After attending St. Bernard Seminary in Rochester, NY and Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis, MO he was ordained by Bishop Hennessy at St. Mary’s Cathedral on June 6, 1918. Following a brief assignment to Colwich as administrator, he was an assistant at St. Mary Parish in Newton for three years. He served as pastor at St. Joseph Parish in Beaver until 1927 when he became chaplain at St. Francis Hospital in Wichita for forty years and editor of The Catholic Advance for thirty-five years. He wrote four books (the most famous was My Road To The Priesthood); was a retreat master; traveled extensively in Europe and the United States and was a well-known speaker. In 1943 he was made a monsignor. He retired in 1967 in a house on the campus of St. Francis Hospital built for him by the Sorrowful Mother Sisters. Msgr. Schaefers died in St. Francis Hospital on December 2, 1979 and Bishop Maloney was principal celebrant of his funeral in the hospital chapel. Msgr. Walsh represented the diocese at a Memorial Mass for Msgr. Schaefers on December 5th at Odin before his burial in the parish cemetery.