Fr. WichlanA funeral Mass for Father David Wichlan was celebrated Feb. 9 at the St. Vincent de Paul Chapel in the Cardinal Rigali Center in Shrewsbury. Father Wichlan died Feb. 2 at Mother of Good Counsel Home in St. Louis. He was 92.
Father Wichlan was born on April 10, 1931, in St. Louis to Leo and Devona (Myers) Wichlan. He was baptized on May 3, 1931, at Holy Rosary Parish in St. Louis, and he attended Cathedral Latin School, St. Louis Preparatory Seminary, Los Angeles College and Kenrick Seminary. He was ordained to the priesthood on April 6, 1957, by then-Archbishop Joseph E. Ritter at the Cathedral of Saint Louis.
His first assignment was in the Missionary Apostolate Plan in southern Missouri from 1957-58. He then served as assistant pastor at Notre Dame in Wellston (1958-62), St. Cecilia in St. Louis (1962-70), Resurrection in St. Louis (1970-73) and St. Blaise in Maryland Heights (1973-74).
Father Wichlan served as the pastor of St. Philip Neri in St. Louis (1974-75), St. Aloysius Gonzaga in St. Louis (1975-78), Assumption in Herculaneum (1978-84) and Sacred Heart in Valley Park (1984-88).
He took a sabbatical to pursue theology studies in 1988, then became a senior priest in service at Our Lady of Sorrows in south St. Louis from 1989-90. His final assignment was as pastor of St. Rita in Vinita Park, where he served until his retirement in 2018.
Father Wichlan moved to Regina Cleri in 2018 and a private residence in 2020 before becoming a resident at Mother of Good Counsel Home in 2023.
Burial will be in Resurrection Cemetery.