July 15, 2016
Monsignor John Gilsenan
Msgr. Gilsenan died Friday, July 15, and had been a priest of the diocese for 60 years. He was born on May 19, 1932, in Dublin, Ireland, and studied for the priesthood at All Hallows College in Dublin. He was ordained to the priesthood on June 17, 1956, at All Hallows. Msgr. Gilsenan served the Diocese of Wichita as an assistant at All Saints Parish in Wichita and at St. John Parish in El Dorado before he began studies in 1963 in canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. After earning his licentiate in canon law in 1965, he returned to the Diocese of Wichita and was named officialis, or the presiding judge of the Tribunal Office, followed by assignments as chaplain of the VA hospital, and later as pastor of St. Michael Parish in Mulvane. In 1974 Msgr. Gilsenan was named chaplain of the Villa Maria Home for the Aging in Mulvane. He was named vicar general of the Diocese of Wichita and rector of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in 1983, while continuing his work as officialis. Msgr. Gilsenan was named vicar for priests in 1988. In 1995 he was named pastor of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Wichita. He was named a Prelate of Honor to His Holiness Pope John Paul II in 1998, receiving the title of monsignor. Also in 1998, Msgr. Gilsenan was named vicar general. He moved to St. Mark the Evangelist Parish in St. Mark in 2006 and in 2010 retired to St. Catherine of Siena Parish in Wichita. He was a resident of the Priest Retirement Center in Wichita at the time of his death and passed away in the hospice at Via Christi Hospital St. Francis. He was buried in Ascension Cemetery.