Individual Details
Edwin Fr. Anthanase Fuchs
(November 11, 1914 - August 14, 2001)
Rev Athanase Fuchs, 86
Collegeville, Aug 14, 2001
Services will be 3:30 p.m. Friday at St. John's Abbey for the Rev. Athanase Fuchs, OSB, 86, who died Tuesday at the Saint Cloud Hospital. Burial will be in the abbey cemetery. The Rev. Athanase Fuchs was born in Langdon, North Dakota to Michael and Elizabeth (Schmitt) Fuchs.
He was educated at St. John's Preparatory School, University and Seminary. He made his initial commitment to the Benedictine way of life on July 11, 1935. He was ordained a priest on June 8, 1941.
He became a teacher at St. Peter's Abbey in Saskatchewan, Canada after his ordination from 1941 to 1943. He was associate pastor at Holy Rosary Church, Detroit Lakes, from 1943 to 1945 when he joined the U.S. Army as a chaplain. He served in the Pacific theater of World War II in the Philippines from 1945 to 1947, during which time he published a Japanese catechism for the prisoners of war.
After his chaplain service he was associate pastor at St. Clement Parish in Duluth from 1947 to 1948, and of St. Joseph Church, St. Joseph from 1948 to 1949. From 1949 to 1953 Father Athanase became associate pastor at St. Boniface Church, Cold Spring. There he also served as Superintendent of St. Boniface High and Grade Schools. He also designed the famous pilgrimage Assumption 'Grasshopper'Chapel outside of Cold Spring. He returned to St. Clement Parish in Duluth as associate pastor from 1953 to 1966. He was appointed pastor of St. Joseph's Indian Mission in Ball Club for two years, 1966 to 1968, and then served as pastor to St. Mary's Church in Stillwater from 1968 to 1971. He returned to St. Joseph's Church of Ball Club in 1971. He served among the Ojibwa people for 30 years until he retired in 1999. He helped develop a business venture, Indian Mission Enterprises, run by and for the people of the community. Their maple syrup, wild rice, honey and Indian beadwork are sold throughout the United States to this day.
Father Athanase, after 58 years of priestly ministry, retired to St. John's Abbey in 1999 where he enjoyed the local golf courses, resumed his hobby of drawing and painting. He would occasionally help out with priestly ministry even in his retirement and was in charge of the collection and distribution of Mass intentions and stipends.
Survivors include two sisters, Sister Michaela Fuchs, OSB, of St. Scholastica Convent, St. Cloud, and Geneva Schreiber of Little Falls; as well as his monastic community.
He was preceded in death by his brothers, Marcellus William Fox, and Arnold Fuchs; and a sister, Sister Magdalene, OSC.
Collegeville, Aug 14, 2001
Services will be 3:30 p.m. Friday at St. John's Abbey for the Rev. Athanase Fuchs, OSB, 86, who died Tuesday at the Saint Cloud Hospital. Burial will be in the abbey cemetery. The Rev. Athanase Fuchs was born in Langdon, North Dakota to Michael and Elizabeth (Schmitt) Fuchs.
He was educated at St. John's Preparatory School, University and Seminary. He made his initial commitment to the Benedictine way of life on July 11, 1935. He was ordained a priest on June 8, 1941.
He became a teacher at St. Peter's Abbey in Saskatchewan, Canada after his ordination from 1941 to 1943. He was associate pastor at Holy Rosary Church, Detroit Lakes, from 1943 to 1945 when he joined the U.S. Army as a chaplain. He served in the Pacific theater of World War II in the Philippines from 1945 to 1947, during which time he published a Japanese catechism for the prisoners of war.
After his chaplain service he was associate pastor at St. Clement Parish in Duluth from 1947 to 1948, and of St. Joseph Church, St. Joseph from 1948 to 1949. From 1949 to 1953 Father Athanase became associate pastor at St. Boniface Church, Cold Spring. There he also served as Superintendent of St. Boniface High and Grade Schools. He also designed the famous pilgrimage Assumption 'Grasshopper'Chapel outside of Cold Spring. He returned to St. Clement Parish in Duluth as associate pastor from 1953 to 1966. He was appointed pastor of St. Joseph's Indian Mission in Ball Club for two years, 1966 to 1968, and then served as pastor to St. Mary's Church in Stillwater from 1968 to 1971. He returned to St. Joseph's Church of Ball Club in 1971. He served among the Ojibwa people for 30 years until he retired in 1999. He helped develop a business venture, Indian Mission Enterprises, run by and for the people of the community. Their maple syrup, wild rice, honey and Indian beadwork are sold throughout the United States to this day.
Father Athanase, after 58 years of priestly ministry, retired to St. John's Abbey in 1999 where he enjoyed the local golf courses, resumed his hobby of drawing and painting. He would occasionally help out with priestly ministry even in his retirement and was in charge of the collection and distribution of Mass intentions and stipends.
Survivors include two sisters, Sister Michaela Fuchs, OSB, of St. Scholastica Convent, St. Cloud, and Geneva Schreiber of Little Falls; as well as his monastic community.
He was preceded in death by his brothers, Marcellus William Fox, and Arnold Fuchs; and a sister, Sister Magdalene, OSC.
Events
| Birth | November 11, 1914 | Langdon, North Dakota | |||
| Death | August 14, 2001 | St. Cloud, MN |
Families
| Father | Michael Fuchs (1881 - 1947) |
| Mother | Ellizabeth Schmidt (1883 - 1975) |
| Sibling | Leander Fuchs (1908 - 1909) |
| Sibling | Marcellus William Fuchs |
| Sibling | Celilia Michaela OSB Fuchs Sr. (1913 - 2009) |
| Sibling | Arnold J. Fuchs |
| Sibling | Clara Geneva Magdalene OSC Fuchs Sr. (1920 - ) |
| Sibling | Emma Genevieve Fuchs |