Marion Francis Forst
Encyclopedia
Marion Francis Forst was an American
clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church
. He served as Bishop of Dodge City
from 1960 to 1976, after which he served as an auxiliary bishop
of the Archdiocese of Kansas City
(1976–1986). At the time of his death, he was the oldest Catholic bishop in the United States
.
, Missouri
, to Frank and Bertha (née Gulath) Forst. An uncle and two brothers were also priests
. He learned to serve as an altar boy
in the first grade, and by the time he was in fourth grade he was teaching other boys how to serve. He studied at Kenrick Seminary
in Webster Groves
, and was ordained
to the priesthood by Archbishop John J. Glennon
on June 10, 1934. He then served as a curate
at Blessed Sacrament Church in Denver
, Colorado
, until 1936, when he returned to Missouri to serve at Queen of Peace Church in Glendale
. He was a curate at St. Theresa Church in St. Louis (1943–1946) before serving as a chaplain
to the United States Navy
from 1946 to 1949. He became rector
of St. Mary Cathedral in Cape Girardeau
in 1949, and was named vicar general
of the newly-erected Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau
in 1956.
On January 2, 1960, Forst was appointed the second Bishop of Dodge City
, Kansas
, by Pope John XXIII
. He received his episcopal
consecration
on the following March 24 from Bishop Charles Herman Helmsing
, with Bishops Mark Kenny Carroll
and Leo Christopher Byrne
serving as co-consecrators
. Between 1962 and 1965, he attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council
, which he described as "the paramount event of all [his] episcopal years...[and] the best thing that happened to the church in the 20th century." During his tenure, he established several new offices and ministries in the diocese, including Catholic Social Service, the Office of Religious Education, Family Life Office, Religious Education for the Handicapped, the Southwest Kansas Register diocesan newspaper, Office of Mexican American
Affairs, and the Youth/Young Adults Office. He was an opponent of denying federal aid to private school
s, which he believed was "a smoke screen" designed "to get rid of these schools."
After sixteen years as head of the Diocese of Dodge City, Forst retired due to poor health on October 16, 1976. He was named Auxiliary Bishop
of Kansas City
and Titular Bishop
of Scala by Pope Paul VI
on the same date. He remained in this capacity for ten years, when he resigned both posts on December 23, 1986. Forst later died at Olathe Medical Center, aged 96. At the time of his death, he was the oldest Catholic bishop in the United States
; Archbishop Peter Leo Gerety
assumed that distinction upon Forst's death.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
clergyman of the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
. He served as Bishop of Dodge City
Roman Catholic Diocese of Dodge City
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Dodge City is a Roman Catholic diocese covering twenty-eight counties in Kansas. Pope Pius XII created the diocese on May 19, 1951.John B...
from 1960 to 1976, after which he served as an auxiliary bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of the Archdiocese of Kansas City
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is a Roman Catholic archdiocese in Kansas. The original diocese was formed on May 22, 1877 as the Diocese of Leavenworth...
(1976–1986). At the time of his death, he was the oldest Catholic bishop in the United States
Roman Catholicism in the United States
The Catholic Church in the United States is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, the Christian Church in full communion with the Pope. With more than 68.5 registered million members, it is the largest single religious denomination in the United States, comprising about 22 percent of the population...
.
Biography
One of eight children, Marion Forst was born in St. LouisSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, to Frank and Bertha (née Gulath) Forst. An uncle and two brothers were also priests
Priesthood (Catholic Church)
The ministerial orders of the Catholic Church include the orders of bishops, deacons and presbyters, which in Latin is sacerdos. The ordained priesthood and common priesthood are different in function and essence....
. He learned to serve as an altar boy
Altar server
An altar server is a lay assistant to a member of the clergy during a Christian religious service. An altar server attends to supporting tasks at the altar such as fetching and carrying, ringing the altar bell and so on....
in the first grade, and by the time he was in fourth grade he was teaching other boys how to serve. He studied at Kenrick Seminary
Kenrick-Glennon Seminary
Kenrick–Glennon Seminary is a private not-for-profit Roman Catholic Seminary located in Shrewsbury, Missouri in St. Louis County. The Seminary is named after Archbishop Peter Richard Kenrick and Cardinal John J. Glennon, former Archbishops of Saint Louis. The Seminary traces its origins to the...
in Webster Groves
Webster Groves, Missouri
Webster Groves is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 22,995 at the 2010 census. The city is named after New England politician Daniel Webster....
, and was ordained
Holy Orders
The term Holy Orders is used by many Christian churches to refer to ordination or to those individuals ordained for a special role or ministry....
to the priesthood by Archbishop John J. Glennon
John J. Glennon
John Joseph Glennon was an Irish American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Archbishop of St. Louis from 1903 until his death in 1946, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1946.-Early life and ministry:...
on June 10, 1934. He then served as a curate
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
at Blessed Sacrament Church in Denver
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, until 1936, when he returned to Missouri to serve at Queen of Peace Church in Glendale
Glendale, Missouri
Glendale is a city in St. Louis County, Missouri, United States. The population was 5,925 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Glendale is located at ....
. He was a curate at St. Theresa Church in St. Louis (1943–1946) before serving as a chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
to the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
from 1946 to 1949. He became rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of St. Mary Cathedral in Cape Girardeau
Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Cape Girardeau is a city located in Cape Girardeau and Scott counties in Southeast Missouri in the United States. It is located approximately southeast of St. Louis and north of Memphis. As of the 2010 census, the city's population was 37,941. A college town, it is the home of Southeast Missouri...
in 1949, and was named vicar general
Vicar general
A vicar general is the principal deputy of the bishop of a diocese for the exercise of administrative authority. As vicar of the bishop, the vicar general exercises the bishop's ordinary executive power over the entire diocese and, thus, is the highest official in a diocese or other particular...
of the newly-erected Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau
Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau is a Roman Catholic diocese in Missouri. It was founded on August 24, 1956. The current bishop is the Most Reverend James Vann Johnston, Jr., appointed January 24, 2008, and installed March 31, 2008....
in 1956.
On January 2, 1960, Forst was appointed the second Bishop of Dodge City
Roman Catholic Diocese of Dodge City
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Dodge City is a Roman Catholic diocese covering twenty-eight counties in Kansas. Pope Pius XII created the diocese on May 19, 1951.John B...
, Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
, by Pope John XXIII
Pope John XXIII
-Papal election:Following the death of Pope Pius XII in 1958, Roncalli was elected Pope, to his great surprise. He had even arrived in the Vatican with a return train ticket to Venice. Many had considered Giovanni Battista Montini, Archbishop of Milan, a possible candidate, but, although archbishop...
. He received his episcopal
Bishop (Catholic Church)
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an ordained minister who holds the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders and is responsible for teaching the Catholic faith and ruling the Church....
consecration
Consecration
Consecration is the solemn dedication to a special purpose or service, usually religious. The word "consecration" literally means "to associate with the sacred". Persons, places, or things can be consecrated, and the term is used in various ways by different groups...
on the following March 24 from Bishop Charles Herman Helmsing
Charles Herman Helmsing
The Most Reverend Charles Herman Helmsing was an American Roman Catholic bishop.- History :...
, with Bishops Mark Kenny Carroll
Mark Kenny Carroll
Mark Kenny Carroll was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Wichita from 1947 to 1967.-Biography:...
and Leo Christopher Byrne
Leo Christopher Byrne
Leo Christopher Byrne was the Roman Catholic Coadjutor Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, in Minneapolis-Saint Paul, Minnesota....
serving as co-consecrators
Consecrator
Consecrator is a term used in the Roman Catholic Church to designate a bishop who ordains a priest to the episcopal state. The term is often used in Eastern Rite Churches and in Anglican communities. The term "Principal Consecrator" is used to designate the primary bishop who ordains a new bishop...
. Between 1962 and 1965, he attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council
Second Vatican Council
The Second Vatican Council addressed relations between the Roman Catholic Church and the modern world. It was the twenty-first Ecumenical Council of the Catholic Church and the second to be held at St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. It opened under Pope John XXIII on 11 October 1962 and closed...
, which he described as "the paramount event of all [his] episcopal years...[and] the best thing that happened to the church in the 20th century." During his tenure, he established several new offices and ministries in the diocese, including Catholic Social Service, the Office of Religious Education, Family Life Office, Religious Education for the Handicapped, the Southwest Kansas Register diocesan newspaper, Office of Mexican American
Mexican American
Mexican Americans are Americans of Mexican descent. As of July 2009, Mexican Americans make up 10.3% of the United States' population with over 31,689,000 Americans listed as of Mexican ancestry. Mexican Americans comprise 66% of all Hispanics and Latinos in the United States...
Affairs, and the Youth/Young Adults Office. He was an opponent of denying federal aid to private school
Private school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
s, which he believed was "a smoke screen" designed "to get rid of these schools."
After sixteen years as head of the Diocese of Dodge City, Forst retired due to poor health on October 16, 1976. He was named Auxiliary Bishop
Auxiliary bishop
An auxiliary bishop, in the Roman Catholic Church, is an additional bishop assigned to a diocese because the diocesan bishop is unable to perform his functions, the diocese is so extensive that it requires more than one bishop to administer, or the diocese is attached to a royal or imperial office...
of Kansas City
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is a Roman Catholic archdiocese in Kansas. The original diocese was formed on May 22, 1877 as the Diocese of Leavenworth...
and Titular Bishop
Titular bishop
A titular bishop in various churches is a bishop who is not in charge of a diocese.By definition a bishop is an "overseer" of a community of the faithful, so when a priest is ordained a bishop the tradition of the Roman Catholic and Orthodox churches is that he be ordained for a specific place...
of Scala by Pope Paul VI
Pope Paul VI
Paul VI , born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini , reigned as Pope of the Catholic Church from 21 June 1963 until his death on 6 August 1978. Succeeding Pope John XXIII, who had convened the Second Vatican Council, he decided to continue it...
on the same date. He remained in this capacity for ten years, when he resigned both posts on December 23, 1986. Forst later died at Olathe Medical Center, aged 96. At the time of his death, he was the oldest Catholic bishop in the United States
Roman Catholicism in the United States
The Catholic Church in the United States is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, the Christian Church in full communion with the Pope. With more than 68.5 registered million members, it is the largest single religious denomination in the United States, comprising about 22 percent of the population...
; Archbishop Peter Leo Gerety
Peter Leo Gerety
Peter Leo Gerety is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was Archbishop of Newark from 1974 to 1986, having previously served as Bishop of Portland...
assumed that distinction upon Forst's death.