Fr. Ernest Stallbaumer (1901-1971)

Father Ernest was a man ahead of his time in stressing the importance of having an excellent catechetics and liturgical program in the parishes where he was pastor.  He was pastor at St. Benedict’s Atchison, St. Peter’s, Council Bluffs, Iowa, and St. Benedict’s, Bendena, Kan.  While there he built a catechetics center that still serves that purpose.  It also doubles as a parish hall.

Father Ernest was born in Seneca, Kan.  He received his high school and college education at St. Benedict’s High School and College, Atchison.  He professed his first vows July 2, 1922, and was ordained June 11, 1927.   After ordination he did graduate work at the Catholic University of America and at Notre Dame.  Father Ernest was professor of Greek at St. Benedict’s College

Father Ernest began the aforementioned pastoral work in 1930 and, in addition to those listed above, was assistant at St. Benedict’s, Kansas City, Kan., for a time.  He was in failing health since suffering a heart attack in 1968 from which he recovered; however a second heart attack was the cause if his death December 1st at the Atchison Hospital.