Kyle George Fisher was born on Dec. 4, 1937, in Wichita, Kansas. He was the fifth of 10 children. In eighth grade, he followed in the footsteps of his older brothers — former Redemptorist priests Delbert and Leonard — and entered St. Joseph Preparatory College in Kirkwood. He professed temporary vows on Aug. 2, 1958, and perpetual vows on Sept. 2, 1961. He was ordained to the priesthood on July 2, 1963.

Father Fisher served as assistant novice master at Mount St. Clement’s College in De Soto in his first assignment. Three years later, he was assigned as a parish priest at St. Alphonsus “Rock” Church in St. Louis. Two years later, he was elected local vicar of the community. He earned a master’s degree in urban affairs at Saint Louis University during this time.

His energy and enthusiasm for ministry was impressive; he was only 34 years old in 1972 when he was appointed local superior and pastor. When racial tensions ran high in the 1970s, Father Fisher effectively handled the transition of parish leadership from the white parishioners who had fled to the suburbs to the Black parishioners who actually lived in the neighborhood.

In 1978, Father Fisher was assigned at Holy Redeemer Parish in Detroit. He went to Mexico to learn the Spanish language to better serve the Hispanic community. Twelve years later, he was appointed pastor of Our Lady of Peace Parish in Greeley, Colorado, and its three mission stations. He was elected local superior of the community two years later, and served in those positions until the Redemptorists returned the parish to the Archdiocese of Denver in 1999. That same year, Father Fisher was appointed local superior and pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Denver.

At the age of 68, Father Fisher was assigned at St. Alphonsus “Rock” Church to serve Hispanic Catholics in St. Louis, Warrenton and Cahokia, Illinois. He was appointed local superior of the community in August of 2007, the same month a fire destroyed much of the church interior. Father Fisher assisted Brother Terry Burke, who oversaw a major renovation that returned the historic church to its original splendor. Although he officially retired in 2008, Father Fisher remained in residence and focused on producing an in-depth history of St. Alphonsus “Rock” Church.

He was involved in planning the 150th jubilee of the congregation receiving the original icon of Our Mother of Perpetual Help at the historic church, where the weekly Novena to Our Mother of Perpetual Help began in North America. Health issues necessitated his move to the St. Clement Redemptorist Mission Community in Liguori in 2018, but Father Fisher maintained his independent spirit and wry sense of humor.

A recorded livestream of the memorial Mass is available at www.facebook.com/gan.nguyen.