September 18, 1958
Msgr. John Sklenar
Msgr. Sklenar was born on July 2, 1868 in Milavec, Bohemia and moved to Marion County, Kansas, when he was a young boy. After grade school in the newly formed parish of St. John Nepomucene in Pilsen, he attended St. Benedict’s College, Atchison, KS; St. Meinrad’s Seminary, St. Meinrad, IN; and St. Mary’s Seminary, Cincinnati, OH. At the time of his ordination by Bishop Henessey on June 21, 1891 there were only 12 priests in the Diocese of Wichita. His early assignments as pastor were to Olmitz, Liebenthal and Schoenchen, back to Olmitz, Florence, and Strong City. In 1903 he was made pastor of his ‘home parish’ in Pilsen and remained there until his retirement in 1943 when he moved to Marion. On his fiftieth anniversary as a priest on June 21, 1941 he was named a monsignor. He died at St. Luke’s Hospital in Marion on September 18, 1958 at 90 years of age and with 67 years in the priesthood. He was proud of his connection with Chaplain Emil Kapaun. “Monsignor Sklenar baptized Father Kapaun, give him his First Communion, guided him through school, and saw him ordained, assisted at the First Mass, had him for his assistant and finally saw the day when Father Kapaun became a symbol of greatness to the American soldier in the Korean conflict.” (The Advance Register, Sept. 24, 1958) Bishop Carroll celebrated Msgr. Sklenar’s funeral Mass at Pilsen where he was also buried.