MSGR. CARL C. POELKER, a Roman Catholic Priest of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, was founding pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Bellefontaine Neighbors, a North St. Louis County suburb. The parish opened in 1951, and closed in 2005 due to changing neighborhood demographics.
In its heyday, Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish boasted a free parochial school and bus service, a fully-equipped athletic field, gym and teams; and countless neighborhood organizations; and a thriving Knights of Columbus Council--largely due to Msgr. Carl Poelker's initiatives.
A native of the one-thriving German St. Liborius Parish on St. Louis' North Side (now closed), he was the son of John G. and Anna B. Poelker. (Mr. Poelker was a shoe retailer on
the 14th Street Shopping Mall District in Old North St. Louis). Another brother, Msgr. Gerard L. Poelker, also served as a priest in the Archdiocese of St. Louis and the Diocese of Jefferson City (created 1957). A third brother, layman John H. Poelker, served as Mayor of the City of St. Louis for many years. His other lay siblings demonstrated an equal commitment to the Roman Catholic Church in their family and community lives.
Msgr. Carl Poelker attended St. Liborius School, the Kenrick Latin High School, and Kenrick Seminary, and was ordained by Archbishop John J. Glennon on Dec. 8, 1934. He was named a Monsignor in 1971.
After serving in pastoral assistant positions at Our Lady of Help of Christians (Italian) Parish and other assignments in St. Louis City, Msgr. Carl Poelker was assigned by Joseph Cardinal Ritter in 1951 to open Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish on St. Cyr Road in Bellefontaine Neighbors, a near northeast county suburb immediately north of the city limits. He served as founding pastor there for more than 20 years until his retirement. (He was succeeded by Fr. Donald Neumann and Fr. Donald B. Wester as pastors. Fr. Wester closed the parish at the direction of the Archdiocese in 2005).
During his pastorate at Good Counsel, Msgr. Poelker was instrumental in the construction, development and funding of the parish AND the development of the City of Bellefontaine Neighbors, attracting the adult children of his former parishioners at earlier parish assignments to move there and purchase newly constructed homes after the Korean War built by early suburban developers such as Burton Duenke and Robert Vorhof. He was widely known in the North County community for his dedicated support to many community development projects as well as Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish and School.
Msgr. Poelker also served on the Archdiocesan Building and Boundary Commission for many years.
On his death on Jan. 18, 1984, Msgr. Poelker was waked at Arthur J. Donnelly Funeral Home on Lindell Blvd., followed by a concelebrated funeral Mass by St. Louis Archbishop John L. May at the New St. Louis Cathedral Basilica. Burial followed on the Archdiocesan Priests Lot at Calvary Cemetery.
Msgr. Poelker is widely remembered as a dedicated pastor, parish priest, and community builder who was instrumental in the development of North St. Louis County and the Roman Catholic presence there from the 1950s to the 1970s.
Because of changing demographics in the 1990's, Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish was later closed in 2005 long after Msgr. Poelker's pastorate. The church, school and buildings were sold by the Archdiocese to the Riverview Gardens School District, which operates a school and education center on the former parish site. Many area residents, now predominantly African-American, still recall the parish and its strong community identity.
In its heyday, Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish boasted a free parochial school and bus service, a fully-equipped athletic field, gym and teams; and countless neighborhood organizations; and a thriving Knights of Columbus Council--largely due to Msgr. Carl Poelker's initiatives.
A native of the one-thriving German St. Liborius Parish on St. Louis' North Side (now closed), he was the son of John G. and Anna B. Poelker. (Mr. Poelker was a shoe retailer on
the 14th Street Shopping Mall District in Old North St. Louis). Another brother, Msgr. Gerard L. Poelker, also served as a priest in the Archdiocese of St. Louis and the Diocese of Jefferson City (created 1957). A third brother, layman John H. Poelker, served as Mayor of the City of St. Louis for many years. His other lay siblings demonstrated an equal commitment to the Roman Catholic Church in their family and community lives.
Msgr. Carl Poelker attended St. Liborius School, the Kenrick Latin High School, and Kenrick Seminary, and was ordained by Archbishop John J. Glennon on Dec. 8, 1934. He was named a Monsignor in 1971.
After serving in pastoral assistant positions at Our Lady of Help of Christians (Italian) Parish and other assignments in St. Louis City, Msgr. Carl Poelker was assigned by Joseph Cardinal Ritter in 1951 to open Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish on St. Cyr Road in Bellefontaine Neighbors, a near northeast county suburb immediately north of the city limits. He served as founding pastor there for more than 20 years until his retirement. (He was succeeded by Fr. Donald Neumann and Fr. Donald B. Wester as pastors. Fr. Wester closed the parish at the direction of the Archdiocese in 2005).
During his pastorate at Good Counsel, Msgr. Poelker was instrumental in the construction, development and funding of the parish AND the development of the City of Bellefontaine Neighbors, attracting the adult children of his former parishioners at earlier parish assignments to move there and purchase newly constructed homes after the Korean War built by early suburban developers such as Burton Duenke and Robert Vorhof. He was widely known in the North County community for his dedicated support to many community development projects as well as Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish and School.
Msgr. Poelker also served on the Archdiocesan Building and Boundary Commission for many years.
On his death on Jan. 18, 1984, Msgr. Poelker was waked at Arthur J. Donnelly Funeral Home on Lindell Blvd., followed by a concelebrated funeral Mass by St. Louis Archbishop John L. May at the New St. Louis Cathedral Basilica. Burial followed on the Archdiocesan Priests Lot at Calvary Cemetery.
Msgr. Poelker is widely remembered as a dedicated pastor, parish priest, and community builder who was instrumental in the development of North St. Louis County and the Roman Catholic presence there from the 1950s to the 1970s.
Because of changing demographics in the 1990's, Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish was later closed in 2005 long after Msgr. Poelker's pastorate. The church, school and buildings were sold by the Archdiocese to the Riverview Gardens School District, which operates a school and education center on the former parish site. Many area residents, now predominantly African-American, still recall the parish and its strong community identity.
MSGR. CARL C. POELKER, a Roman Catholic Priest of the Archdiocese of St. Louis, was founding pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Bellefontaine Neighbors, a North St. Louis County suburb. The parish opened in 1951, and closed in 2005 due to changing neighborhood demographics.
In its heyday, Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish boasted a free parochial school and bus service, a fully-equipped athletic field, gym and teams; and countless neighborhood organizations; and a thriving Knights of Columbus Council--largely due to Msgr. Carl Poelker's initiatives.
A native of the one-thriving German St. Liborius Parish on St. Louis' North Side (now closed), he was the son of John G. and Anna B. Poelker. (Mr. Poelker was a shoe retailer on
the 14th Street Shopping Mall District in Old North St. Louis). Another brother, Msgr. Gerard L. Poelker, also served as a priest in the Archdiocese of St. Louis and the Diocese of Jefferson City (created 1957). A third brother, layman John H. Poelker, served as Mayor of the City of St. Louis for many years. His other lay siblings demonstrated an equal commitment to the Roman Catholic Church in their family and community lives.
Msgr. Carl Poelker attended St. Liborius School, the Kenrick Latin High School, and Kenrick Seminary, and was ordained by Archbishop John J. Glennon on Dec. 8, 1934. He was named a Monsignor in 1971.
After serving in pastoral assistant positions at Our Lady of Help of Christians (Italian) Parish and other assignments in St. Louis City, Msgr. Carl Poelker was assigned by Joseph Cardinal Ritter in 1951 to open Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish on St. Cyr Road in Bellefontaine Neighbors, a near northeast county suburb immediately north of the city limits. He served as founding pastor there for more than 20 years until his retirement. (He was succeeded by Fr. Donald Neumann and Fr. Donald B. Wester as pastors. Fr. Wester closed the parish at the direction of the Archdiocese in 2005).
During his pastorate at Good Counsel, Msgr. Poelker was instrumental in the construction, development and funding of the parish AND the development of the City of Bellefontaine Neighbors, attracting the adult children of his former parishioners at earlier parish assignments to move there and purchase newly constructed homes after the Korean War built by early suburban developers such as Burton Duenke and Robert Vorhof. He was widely known in the North County community for his dedicated support to many community development projects as well as Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish and School.
Msgr. Poelker also served on the Archdiocesan Building and Boundary Commission for many years.
On his death on Jan. 18, 1984, Msgr. Poelker was waked at Arthur J. Donnelly Funeral Home on Lindell Blvd., followed by a concelebrated funeral Mass by St. Louis Archbishop John L. May at the New St. Louis Cathedral Basilica. Burial followed on the Archdiocesan Priests Lot at Calvary Cemetery.
Msgr. Poelker is widely remembered as a dedicated pastor, parish priest, and community builder who was instrumental in the development of North St. Louis County and the Roman Catholic presence there from the 1950s to the 1970s.
Because of changing demographics in the 1990's, Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish was later closed in 2005 long after Msgr. Poelker's pastorate. The church, school and buildings were sold by the Archdiocese to the Riverview Gardens School District, which operates a school and education center on the former parish site. Many area residents, now predominantly African-American, still recall the parish and its strong community identity.
In its heyday, Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish boasted a free parochial school and bus service, a fully-equipped athletic field, gym and teams; and countless neighborhood organizations; and a thriving Knights of Columbus Council--largely due to Msgr. Carl Poelker's initiatives.
A native of the one-thriving German St. Liborius Parish on St. Louis' North Side (now closed), he was the son of John G. and Anna B. Poelker. (Mr. Poelker was a shoe retailer on
the 14th Street Shopping Mall District in Old North St. Louis). Another brother, Msgr. Gerard L. Poelker, also served as a priest in the Archdiocese of St. Louis and the Diocese of Jefferson City (created 1957). A third brother, layman John H. Poelker, served as Mayor of the City of St. Louis for many years. His other lay siblings demonstrated an equal commitment to the Roman Catholic Church in their family and community lives.
Msgr. Carl Poelker attended St. Liborius School, the Kenrick Latin High School, and Kenrick Seminary, and was ordained by Archbishop John J. Glennon on Dec. 8, 1934. He was named a Monsignor in 1971.
After serving in pastoral assistant positions at Our Lady of Help of Christians (Italian) Parish and other assignments in St. Louis City, Msgr. Carl Poelker was assigned by Joseph Cardinal Ritter in 1951 to open Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish on St. Cyr Road in Bellefontaine Neighbors, a near northeast county suburb immediately north of the city limits. He served as founding pastor there for more than 20 years until his retirement. (He was succeeded by Fr. Donald Neumann and Fr. Donald B. Wester as pastors. Fr. Wester closed the parish at the direction of the Archdiocese in 2005).
During his pastorate at Good Counsel, Msgr. Poelker was instrumental in the construction, development and funding of the parish AND the development of the City of Bellefontaine Neighbors, attracting the adult children of his former parishioners at earlier parish assignments to move there and purchase newly constructed homes after the Korean War built by early suburban developers such as Burton Duenke and Robert Vorhof. He was widely known in the North County community for his dedicated support to many community development projects as well as Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish and School.
Msgr. Poelker also served on the Archdiocesan Building and Boundary Commission for many years.
On his death on Jan. 18, 1984, Msgr. Poelker was waked at Arthur J. Donnelly Funeral Home on Lindell Blvd., followed by a concelebrated funeral Mass by St. Louis Archbishop John L. May at the New St. Louis Cathedral Basilica. Burial followed on the Archdiocesan Priests Lot at Calvary Cemetery.
Msgr. Poelker is widely remembered as a dedicated pastor, parish priest, and community builder who was instrumental in the development of North St. Louis County and the Roman Catholic presence there from the 1950s to the 1970s.
Because of changing demographics in the 1990's, Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish was later closed in 2005 long after Msgr. Poelker's pastorate. The church, school and buildings were sold by the Archdiocese to the Riverview Gardens School District, which operates a school and education center on the former parish site. Many area residents, now predominantly African-American, still recall the parish and its strong community identity.
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Founding Pastor (1951-84), Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish (1951-2005)
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