Marion Francis Forst

Marion Francis Forst (September 3, 1910 – June 2, 2007) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as bishop of the Diocese of Dodge City in Kansas from 1960 to 1976, then as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas from 1976 to 1986.

Biography

Early life One of eight children, Marion Forst was born on September 3, 1910, in St. Louis, 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. After his ordination, the archdiocese sent him to Denver, Colorado, for two years to serve as a curate at Blessed Sacrament Church. He returned to Missouri in 1936 to serve at Queen of Peace Parish in Glendale.

Bishop of Dodge City On January 2, 1960, Forst was appointed as second bishop of Dodge City by Pope John XXIII. Forst remained in this capacity for ten years, resigning both posts on December 23, 1986.

Death and legacy Forst died on June 2, 2007 at Olathe Medical Center in Olathe, Kansas, at age 96. At the time of his death, he was the oldest Catholic bishop in the United States.