50th ordination
Father John Phelps
Birthplace: St. Louis
First profession: 1963
Final profession: 1966
Ordination: 1968
Education: Master’s in religious education, Mount St. Alphonsus, 1968
Master’s of divinity in theology, Mount St. Alphonsus, 1969
Service in the archdiocese: Tirocinium (a second novitiate or missionary-pastoral course), St. Alphonsus “Rock” Church, St. Louis, 1969
Pastor, St. Alphonsus “Rock” Church, 2005-07
President, Life Directions, St. Louis, 2005-07
Preacher and president, Resurrection Catholic School, Montgomery, Ala., and president of Central Catholic, all while stationed at Liguori Mission House in Liguori, Mo., 2007-10
Service outside the archdiocese: Parish ministry, St. Alphonsus Parish, Grand Rapids, Mich., 1969-70
Parish ministry and vocation director, Holy Redeemer Parish, Detroit, 1970-72
Vocation director, St. Joseph’s Preparatory College, Edgerton, Wis., 1972
Co-founded Focus Life (now Life Directions), a youth apostolate to curb violence in the inner-city, Detroit, 1973
President and CEO, Life Directions, which evolved into the Neighborhood Enrichment Program, the Peer Motivation Program and the Peer Motivation Program, since its founding; expanded the program to Chicago, New Orleans, San Antonio, Tucson, Ariz., and Marion County, Ore., 1990-2005
Pastor, St. Peter Claver Church, Detroit, 2016-present
President and CEO of Life Directions, which has shared solid life values and virtues with more than 130,000 young adults ages 13-35 and is celebrating 44 years of reaching at-risk youth in Detroit and Chicago, 2016-present
50th profession
Father Richard A. Boever
Birthplace: St. Louis
First profession: 1968
Final profession: 1971
Ordination: 1973
Education: Bachelor’s in philosophy, Holy Redeemer College, 1970
Master’s in religious education, Mount St. Alphonsus, 1972
Master’s in divinity, Mount St. Alphonsus, 1973
Doctorate in historical theology, Saint Louis University, 1983
Service in the archdiocese: Parish priest, Mary Mother of the Church, Mattese, 1975-79
Editor, Liguori Publications, 1979-87
Local superior and pastor, St. Gerard Majella Church, 1987-90
Local superior, president and publisher, Liguori Publications, 1990-92
Director, St. John Neumann Formation House, 2001-02
Local superior and director, St. John Neumann Formation House, 2002-05
Missionary: assisted at Shrine of St. John Neumann in Philadelphia, pastor of parishes in Cuba, Steelville and Bourbon in Jefferson City Diocese, Liguori Mission House, 2010-18
Local superior, Liguori Mission House, 2018-present
Service outside the archdiocese: Parish priest, St. Michael Parish, Chicago, 1974-75
Pastor, Blessed Sacrament Parish, Chicago, 1992-96
Theology professor and campus chaplain, Newman University, while stationed at Spiritual Life Center in Wichita, Kan., 1996-2001
Local superior and director, Redemptorist Retreat Center in Oconomowoc, Wis., 2005-10
60th ordination
Father Vincent Aggeler
Birthplace: Pilot Grove, Mo.
First profession: 1953
Final profession: 1956
Ordination: 1958
Education: St. Joseph’s Preparatory College, Kirkwood
Redemptorist novitiate, DeSoto.
Immaculate Conception Seminary, Oconomowoc, Wis.
Service in the archdiocese: Tirocinium (a second novitiate or missionary-pastoral course), St. Alphonsus “Rock” Parish, St. Louis, 1959-60
Member of the St. Clement Health Care Center Redemptorist community, Liguori, 2010-present
Service outside the archdiocese: Missionary in the Amazon Region of Brazil for 46 years:
Parish priest, Redentoristas, Manaus, Amazonia, 1960
Pastor, Paroquia NaSa das Gracas, Codajas, Amazonia, 1961-64
Pastor, Paroquia Nasa de Nazare, Manaus, Amazonia, 1964-67
Pastor, Paroquia NaSa de Nazare, Coari, 1967-69
Parish priest, Redentoristas, Aparaceida, 1969-75
Parish priest, Redentoristas, Codajas, Amazonia, 1975-82
Superior, Paroquia NaSa de Nazare, Manacapuru, Amazonia, 1982-85
Director of Juvenate, Paraquia NaSa Aparecida, Manaus, 1985-90
Assistant director of Juvenate and associate director of seminary, Casa Viva Memoria/Redentoristas, Manaus, 1992
Parish priest, Redentoristas, Manaus, 1993-99
Parish priest and vicar general of the Prelacy of Coari, Paroquia de Santana/Redentoristas, Coari, Amazonia, 2001-06
Retirement, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Redemptorist Parish, Kansas City, Mo., 2006-10
About Father Vincent Aggeler: Father Vince is a talented photographer who loves to share his extensive repertoire of jokes to brighten the spirits of everyone he encounters. He also enjoys woodworking and gardening, and he uses social media to maintain contact with a large group of friends living in Brazil and elsewhere in the world.
60th profession
Father Kyle Fisher
Birthplace: Wichita, Kan.
First profession: 1958
Final profession: 1961
Ordination: 1963
Education: St. Joseph’s Preparatory College, Kirkwood, (entering after eighth grade)
Novitiate year, St. Clement’s College, DeSoto
Immaculate Conception Seminary, Oconomowoc, Wis.
Service in the archdiocese: Assistant novice master, St. Clement’s College, 1964-65
Parish priest and pastor, St. Alphonsus “Rock” Church, St. Louis, 1965-77
Ministry to the poor and minorities, St. Alphonsus “Rock” Church, 2005-2018
Resident, St. Clement Health Care Center, Liguori, 2018-present
Service outside the archdiocese: Parish priest, Holy Redeemer Church (multi-lingual, multi-cultural community), Detroit, 1978-90
Parish priest serving the Hispanic community, Our Lady of Peace Church, Greeley, Colo., 1990-99
Parish priest serving the Hispanic community, St. Joseph Parish, Denver, 1999-2005
About Father Kyle Fisher: He was appointed pastor of St. Alphonsus “Rock” Church at the age of 34, a very rare occurrence n the 1970s. He traveled to Mexico to learn Spanish. His entire priestly life has been devoted to serving the poor and minorities in parish ministry. He returned to the “Rock” in 2005, and lived in the rectory of his beloved parish in retirement until health issues necessitated his recent move to St. Clement Health Care Center in Liguori.