Longtime Kansas bishop, Missouri native Marion Forst dies at age 96

~ Forst was the oldest bishop in the United States.

The Most Rev. Marion Francis Forst, a Roman Catholic bishop and former pastor of St. Mary's Cathedral, has died at age 96.

Forst, who was the oldest bishop in the United States, died Saturday night at Olathe Regional Medical Center. A funeral Mass is scheduled for today at Savior Pastoral Center in Kansas City, Kan., with burial in the nearby Gate of Heaven Cemetery.

Adella Frank of Chaffee, Mo., said Forst always wore a smile.

"He presided over my wedding Jan. 20, 1950," Frank said. "Most Rev. Forst gave my husband his instructions when he joined the Catholic faith. He always sent a card to his converts at Christmastime, and he never lost touch once he left our area."

Jody Kiehne, whose husband, Bill, also received his instructions from Forst, also fondly remembered Forst's annual Christmas correspondance with his converts.

"He was a wonderful, outgoing man who treated everyone alike," Kiehne said. "All the people of St. Mary's loved him."

Kiehne said her husband occasionally would send Forst articles from the Southeast Missourian and their diocesan paper. She said Forst always replied promptly and inquired after her family.

Forst, a St. Louis native, was a priest for 73 years. He was ordained for the Archdiocese of St. Louis on June 10, 1934, and spent his first two years as a priest on loan to the Diocese of Denver before returning to the St. Louis archdiocese.

Forst served three years as a Navy chaplain during World War II. After his discharge in 1946, Forst became pastor of St. Mary's.

When the Diocese of Springfield-Cape Girardeau was formed two years later, Forst was appointed vicar general.

He was named the second bishop of Dodge City on Jan. 2, 1960.

In 1962, Pope John XXIII called the world's bishops to Rome for the Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican. Forst attended Vatican II's four sessions, and in 2000, Forst published "Daily Journal of Vatican II," his daily observations of his time at the council.

Forst served as bishop of Dodge City for 16 years until Oct. 16, 1976, when Pope Paul VI accepted his resignation because of health problems. He was appointed auxiliary bishop of Kansas City, Kan., and held that post until retiring in 1986.

In 1995, in recognition for his long service to the church, Pope John Paul II named Forst the titular bishop of Leavenworth, Kan., an honorary position.

Southeast Missourian staff writer Peter Wylie contributed to this report.