Necrology keeps memory of priests alive

In 1873, Father Valentine Sommereisen accompanied General George Custer’s 7th Calvary and a survey team for the Northern Pacific Railroad on the Yellowstone Expedition. Three years later he was in Kansas organizing a parish for the Volga Germans in Liebenthal. His biographical sketch is just one of more than 300 included in a new book written by diocesan archivist Tim Wenzl.

“Priests of the Prairie, Southwest Kansas Territory” documents and preserves information about the priests who either served in or were vocations from the 28 counties that now make up the Diocese of Dodge City. The pages are a treasury of information about priests who served as Indian missionaries, pastors, assistants, chaplains and faculty members. The book was printed with the financial assistance of Knights of Columbus Councils in southwest Kansas.

This necrology was inspired by “Pioneer Priests of the Plains,” a volume written for the Wichita diocese by Father Dwight Birket in 2003. “When I received a copy of the Wichita necrology in 2003, I immediately thought our diocese deserved one too,” said Wenzl. “Bishop Gilmore and the Presbyteral Council agreed.”

“Priests on the Prairie” includes a one page biography and photograph on each priest that served in the area when southwest Kansas was included in the ecclesia territories known as the Vicariate Apostolic of Indian Territory East of the Rocky Mountains; the Vicariate Apostolic of Kansas; the Diocese of Leavenworth; the Diocese of Wichita; and now the Diocese of Dodge City. The volume is organized by date of death as an ordo, January 1 through December 31. It is produced in a binder format so that pages can be added as additional supplements are printed.

“I am grateful to Father Birket, (now pastor of St. John, Hoisington, and Holy Family, Odin,) for the use of certain biographies and to Chris Riggs, editor of the Catholic Advance in Wichita, for the use of the digital photos of the priests that are common to both dioceses,” said Wenzl. “Information from the archives in Dodge City was added to those biographies to highlight accomplishments of these priests in this diocese.

“It took the assistance of these good people and many other diocesan and religious order archivists to complete a project of this magnitude. I am most grateful to Kaley Temaat, archivist intern, who spent three summers assisting with this project. I am also grateful to Cindy Shipley with the Dodge City Public Library interlibrary loan department who secured many rolls of microfilm in my search for obituaries in both Catholic and secular newspapers. I am especially thankful to Father David H. Kraus, JCL, for his internet expertise in locating international and domestic contacts for religious congregations. I also greatly appreciate the work of Sister Denise Sevart, CSJ, and Sister Cecilia Bush, CSJ, who read the manuscript and offered their suggestions.

“This book made its way to print thanks to the financial assistance of the Knights of Columbus in southwest Kansas. I am sure Servant of God Father Michael J. McGivney, the founder of the Order, is proud that the Knights took such an interest in honoring our priests.”

Information about how to purchase a copy of “Priests of the Prairie” is included in an advertisement on this page.