Saint Francis Xavier (SFX) Parish, established in Kansas City in 1909, has been led by Jesuits for its entire 115-year history. Lack of manpower, however, sadly forces the order to withdraw from parish leadership there this summer.
The history of the Jesuits in Kansas City goes back to the 1820s when a group of them from Maryland came west to work with Kickapoo and Potawatomi tribes in the region. In 1885, the society’s provincial sent word to Bishop Hogan (first bishop of Kansas City) that they intended to establish a college and church here. The bishop helped them acquire land at 11th Street and Prospect, where the church, Saint Aloysius, honoring the young Jesuit Aloysius Gonzaga, was built. In 1889, the Jesuit superior put a hold on starting the college. Twenty years later, again working with the bishop, they acquired twenty-five acres south of Brush Creek for college and church. Though the order suggested the new church bear the name of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus (SJ or Jesuits), it was instead named for Ignatius’ companion, co-founder, and great missionary, Francis Xavier, because the bishop mistakenly thought that the founder’s name had been used for the first church in the city, which was actually named for another Jesuit, John Francis Regis. A secular name was chosen for the college that combined the title of a nearby district, Rockhill, with the name of a Jesuit school in England, Stonyhurst.
When I attended Rockhurst in 1977, I met some wonderful Jesuit priests starting with Nick Rashford, who was chaplain of the frosh men’s dorm, and Carl Dehne, who taught introductory scripture. Soon there was a trail of others: the inspiring Don Murphy, compassionate Tom Denzer, and Joseph Freeman, who walked the campus daily praying his rosary. I heard stories of Bob Lakas, who died in the center aisle of Saint Francis Xavier Church as he greeted people before Mass earlier that decade. I met several times with President Bob Weiss and Chancellor Maurice Van Ackeren when I served as student body president; upon graduating I got to work with Frank Carey in the Admissions Office. Years later, Luke Byrne served as my spiritual director. A couple of my college buddies, Dave Suwalsky and Brendan Hurley, joined and have done great things as priests of the society. I witnessed former college presidents, Tom Savage and Ed Kinerk, inspire civic leaders when I served in nearby parishes and worked alongside several former SFX pastors from Len Kraus to Tim McMahon. I admired Tom Curran and Tom Pesci during their years as presidents of the university and high school. I got to know native Kansas Citians who joined the SJ ranks, Matt Ruhl and Phil Cooke, and have come to respect Jesuits currently living on the Rockhurst campus, including Derrick Weingartner, Mike Sheeran, and outgoing SFX pastor, Jim Caime. These and so many others through the century, who you can name, have been an immense blessing to our city and local church. Though their priestly presence will remain at the high school and university, the order will turn the parish reins over to Bishop Johnston this summer.
He, too, deals with a priest-shortage and sometimes must double or triple assignments for pastors. That is the case here as he has assigned me to serve the community of Saint Francis while also overseeing two other nearby parishes. It might be tough for the SFX community—and all those who grew up in the vicinity of 52nd Street and Troost—to end one era and begin another. I will do my best as the parish adjusts to having one-third of a priest rather than the one or two they have been used to, and their first non-Jesuit at that, as I near retirement age. The church bearing the name of the patron saint of missionaries now embarks upon a new mission. Please pray for us as we seek to face it as boldly as Xavier himself did long ago.
UPON THIS ROCK 
they are getting good one with you! Best wishes as you take on this new journey!
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Sad news, once great parish. Fr. Suwalsky, (David, as we call him) was a great presence in the lives of my sons. ??
Hope you are well. If all goes well, I close on the sale of the Lexington building on Tuesday. ????
Bought a condo in Rhode Island. Patrick rents from me. I have a bedroom next to my grandsons, Malcolm and Declan.
God is grand. Robin ?? (Joanie is here with me in Chicago this week)
Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone Get Outlook for Androidhttps://aka.ms/AAb9ysg ________________________________
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Welcome to our parish home, Fr. Don. We look forward to working with you on many important works in our community and our world!
Jody & Bill Craig
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Thank you Fr Farnan for your always informative and compassionate information. Respect and appreciation
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Welcome Fr Don to SFX and blessings and prays as you begin a new assignment. Jane Ratcliffe Coakley
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Good luck in your new assignment Fr. I’m sure the parishioners will love you as they have in all your parishes. Recognized many of the names of Jesuit priests you have been influenced by – my particular favorite was Fr. Frank Carey who was at my parish (St. Therese Parkville) He was truly a great priest and had a sense of humor that I so enjoyed! Also wanted to tell you that we enjoy listening to your podcasts. Love when you have your sister and members of other large Catholic families in Kansas City – it brings back so many great memories from my younger years. We were in St. Therese Little Flower until 1968 when we moved North for my father’s business. That was truly an amazing parish to grow up in and we had some wonderful priests throughout the years.
Mary Ann (McNerney) Litras
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Wonderful! My family was hoping you would be our new pastor. God bless you!
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We are so thankful you will be coming to SFX. Our prayers were answered!
Peggy Sachs
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Great article. Thank you for honoring the Jesuits. Fr. Freeman taught every member of my first family. Fr. Lakas married my folks, and his mother lived with my grandmother at 5208 Rockhill for a few years.
I wish you all the best with the transition. You will do great, and they are lucky to have you.
All the best,
Steve
Steve McGurren
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Father Don,
Thanks for the fascinating history lesson. Your writing skills are so amazing. Can never thank you for all you do for so manyâ¦.the whole city.
Blessings as you undertake yet another in town parish.
Fondly and appreciatively,
Diana Welsh
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Fr Don,
We are thrilled with this news!! We look forward to you joining the SFX community..You are a gift to this diocese and to us!!
Alice and Bill Munninghoff
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welcome, Father! I exclaimed in joy when I read the email announcement. Although we are so sad to see the Jesuits go, we are thrilled that you have been named as their successor. We look forward to welcoming you.
With great joy,
the Walter family
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Fr. Don, what great news. Welcome to SFX. We will do everything in our power to make this as rewarding an experience for you as it will be for us.
Tom Bradshaw & Christine Rankin
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Thank you for this thoughtful and kind message, Fr. Don. Welcome to the parish! I hope that we can all work together to keep the Ignatian spirit going at St. Francis.
Seán Kane
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Now this is Good News!!
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Father Don, I so appreciated your insight and info on St Francis Xavier Parish. I lived at 53rd and Paseo the first 14 years of my life, attended kindergarten and 1st grade at that school and that was our Parish until the Bishop changed the boundary lines (1958?) and we were told to switch to St Therese Little Flower for our Parish. My Mom and Dad, Maris and Bill White, were the first (so I was told) formal wedding on Sept 17, 1950 at the newly opened St Francis Xavier Church. From the photos, it was beautiful in that modern gleaming new church! Wonderful memories of the church, Rockhurst College and that beautiful area of Kansas City. Thank you for all you do for us! Maris Haster
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Welcome to St Francis Xavier Father Don. God is good and has blessed us with this assignment and I know that you too will feel those blessings as you get to know the many wonderful people and staff at SFX.
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Above comment by Jeanne Bates
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Our prayers have been answered!
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So grateful to God that Bishop Johnston has assigned you to help our SFX family through this time of transition. Now what’s this talk of “retirement “?!
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Welcome to St. Francis Xavier, Fr. Don! We look forward to moving our parish forward with you as our pastor! Paul and Jessica McGannon
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They are so lucky.
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The parishioners of this parish are most fortunate to have you even part of part of the time. Change is hard. However, I know for certain you bring something to the table that many need to enhance & enrich their spiritual walk.Best Wishes to you Father Don.
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Thank you so much for your reflection. I’ve learned a lot from this. well do I remember Father Don Murphy as we became friends and I became an admirer of him and his teaching Socratic method, which he used also in conversations. I believe he had a brother named Patrick, who is a strong Notre Dame grad with a lot of children somewhere in Arizona or New Mexico. Do you have any connections with his family?
And father Luke! Our families knew each other at Visitation .
iFrances and I and the children
became dear friends of his.In his last several years my sister, Margie, and Tony and he became close friends and went to the Billikens basketball games and the Cardinal baseball games. I visited him several days before he passed. There’s definitely a void and Margie and Tony so miss their regular contacts with him.
And then the passing of Father Michael Mulhearn(FM) is also such a loss
Back to the Jesuits. My father attributes the wonderful Jesuits at SLU for giving him the inspiration and example which led to his conversion. He so loved them and thru that connection became a debate and speech teacher at Rockhurst college, where he was practically the same age as the students. One of his debaters (the philanthropic, John Sullivan, )told me that the speech and debate was a life changer for him. Dad invited the Oxford debaters to Kansas City and it was held on the radio station. Rockhurst won!!! John Sullivan remarked to me” I owe so much to your father. And I haven’t turned out too bad.”
Thank you Father Don for triggering these wonderful memories. While on that subject, do you have any audios or videos of King Arthur Tighe .I can still hear him saying the rosary with that beautiful Irish lilt.
Peace and love
Brother John
John S. Gordon
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Thank you for sharing the history of the Jesuits in Kansas City and how they helped in the formation of the men at Rockhurst High School over the years. Inspired by his time at Rockhurst, my brother became a Jesuit. He was a St. Augustine Scholar, writing many books and articles on his teachings.
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