Fr. Ralph C. Bushell, C.PP.S, a member of the Society of the Precious Blood, Kansas City Province, died Monday, March 2, 2009, at Liberty Hospital in Liberty, Mo. Fr. Ralph wrote community obituaries for over four decades of his life, and now the time has come for his. No one could write this with the same style and grace that flowed from Fr. Ralph's typewriter or computer as he remembered his brothers in community. Fr. Ralph C. Bushell was born on Sept. 6, 1921, to John A. Bushell and Perle (Lambert) Bushell in Elkhart, Ill.
He entered Brunnerdale Seminary in September of 1938 and was professed on Dec. 3, 1947. He was ordained to the priesthood on March 25, 1949. Fr. Ralph ministered in a variety of places in his first 20 years of priesthood. He began full time ministry in 1949 in Fond du Lac, Wis., at St. Mary's Springs Academy as a chaplain. In 1955 he was called to be the prefect of discipline at Brunnerdale Seminary. In 1957 he went to St. Mark's Parish in Cincinnati, Ohio, as an assistant pastor, where he stayed one year before becoming chaplain at St. Francis Hospital in La Crosse, Wis. In 1960 he moved to St. Joseph's College in Rensselaer, Ind., as guidance director, and two years later became assistant pastor at St. Augustine's parish in Rensselaer.
In 1963 Fr. Ralph was asked to go to Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park, Ill., as chaplain. In 1964 he became an instructor at Sacred Heart College in Wichita, Kan. In 1967 Fr. Ralph became a chaplain at Mount Marty College in Yankton, SD. His last parish assignment was St. Francis Xavier Church in St. Joseph, Mo., in 1970. In 1971 Fr. Ralph was assigned to Precious Blood Seminary in Liberty as an instructor and as executive secretary of the Kansas City Province. He lived at Precious Blood Seminary until the seminary closed in 1983. In 1995 Fr. Ralph resigned as provincial secretary, but continued to live at Precious Blood Center until he moved to Our Lady of Mercy Country Home in Liberty in 2005. Fr. Ralph spent a number of years as a chaplain in convents and on college campuses, where he undoubtedly impacted many people. Fr. Ralph is especially remembered, however, by students and staff at Precious Blood Seminary, where he taught Latin and assisted many of them in the mimeograph room.
He became a master of the ink copiers and the mimeograph machine. One could always hear his typewriter clicking away in his office writing official letters or getting the next province newsletter ready for printing. Fr. Ralph also had a dry sense of humor and a sensitive style of counseling that invited many students into his office. Students enjoyed his laugh because it began with his entire body quietly bouncing up and down in his chair. Fr. Ralph was very knowledgeable about many aspects of life and had a tremendous love for the Precious Blood Community. He knew the history of the community very well, but his true love was helping to develop the future of the community. He represented the community in a variety of ways and served on a number of committees both nationally and internationally.
Of all his assignments through the years there probably was none that Fr. Ralph enjoyed more than celebrating Eucharist at Our Lady of Mercy Country Home in Liberty. For 32 years he traveled there for the 10:15 a.m. Mass. He was committed and dependable for all those years. He saw many residents come and go, and was very much invited to be part of the Mercedarian Community. He blessed the sisters and the residents with his presence. A special thanks to the sisters and the residents for inviting Fr. Ralph to be part of their lives. As they remember him at the altar, we as province members will also remember Fr. Ralph behind the desk at our assemblies, keeping track of the members and making sure they observed Roberts' Rules of Order. A wake service will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, March 6, at St. James Catholic Church in Liberty with the Mass of Christian Burial celebrated at 11 a.m. Burial will follow at Resurrection Cemetery. Arr.: Fry-Bross & Spidle Funeral Home
He entered Brunnerdale Seminary in September of 1938 and was professed on Dec. 3, 1947. He was ordained to the priesthood on March 25, 1949. Fr. Ralph ministered in a variety of places in his first 20 years of priesthood. He began full time ministry in 1949 in Fond du Lac, Wis., at St. Mary's Springs Academy as a chaplain. In 1955 he was called to be the prefect of discipline at Brunnerdale Seminary. In 1957 he went to St. Mark's Parish in Cincinnati, Ohio, as an assistant pastor, where he stayed one year before becoming chaplain at St. Francis Hospital in La Crosse, Wis. In 1960 he moved to St. Joseph's College in Rensselaer, Ind., as guidance director, and two years later became assistant pastor at St. Augustine's parish in Rensselaer.
In 1963 Fr. Ralph was asked to go to Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park, Ill., as chaplain. In 1964 he became an instructor at Sacred Heart College in Wichita, Kan. In 1967 Fr. Ralph became a chaplain at Mount Marty College in Yankton, SD. His last parish assignment was St. Francis Xavier Church in St. Joseph, Mo., in 1970. In 1971 Fr. Ralph was assigned to Precious Blood Seminary in Liberty as an instructor and as executive secretary of the Kansas City Province. He lived at Precious Blood Seminary until the seminary closed in 1983. In 1995 Fr. Ralph resigned as provincial secretary, but continued to live at Precious Blood Center until he moved to Our Lady of Mercy Country Home in Liberty in 2005. Fr. Ralph spent a number of years as a chaplain in convents and on college campuses, where he undoubtedly impacted many people. Fr. Ralph is especially remembered, however, by students and staff at Precious Blood Seminary, where he taught Latin and assisted many of them in the mimeograph room.
He became a master of the ink copiers and the mimeograph machine. One could always hear his typewriter clicking away in his office writing official letters or getting the next province newsletter ready for printing. Fr. Ralph also had a dry sense of humor and a sensitive style of counseling that invited many students into his office. Students enjoyed his laugh because it began with his entire body quietly bouncing up and down in his chair. Fr. Ralph was very knowledgeable about many aspects of life and had a tremendous love for the Precious Blood Community. He knew the history of the community very well, but his true love was helping to develop the future of the community. He represented the community in a variety of ways and served on a number of committees both nationally and internationally.
Of all his assignments through the years there probably was none that Fr. Ralph enjoyed more than celebrating Eucharist at Our Lady of Mercy Country Home in Liberty. For 32 years he traveled there for the 10:15 a.m. Mass. He was committed and dependable for all those years. He saw many residents come and go, and was very much invited to be part of the Mercedarian Community. He blessed the sisters and the residents with his presence. A special thanks to the sisters and the residents for inviting Fr. Ralph to be part of their lives. As they remember him at the altar, we as province members will also remember Fr. Ralph behind the desk at our assemblies, keeping track of the members and making sure they observed Roberts' Rules of Order. A wake service will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, March 6, at St. James Catholic Church in Liberty with the Mass of Christian Burial celebrated at 11 a.m. Burial will follow at Resurrection Cemetery. Arr.: Fry-Bross & Spidle Funeral Home
Fr. Ralph C. Bushell, C.PP.S, a member of the Society of the Precious Blood, Kansas City Province, died Monday, March 2, 2009, at Liberty Hospital in Liberty, Mo. Fr. Ralph wrote community obituaries for over four decades of his life, and now the time has come for his. No one could write this with the same style and grace that flowed from Fr. Ralph's typewriter or computer as he remembered his brothers in community. Fr. Ralph C. Bushell was born on Sept. 6, 1921, to John A. Bushell and Perle (Lambert) Bushell in Elkhart, Ill.
He entered Brunnerdale Seminary in September of 1938 and was professed on Dec. 3, 1947. He was ordained to the priesthood on March 25, 1949. Fr. Ralph ministered in a variety of places in his first 20 years of priesthood. He began full time ministry in 1949 in Fond du Lac, Wis., at St. Mary's Springs Academy as a chaplain. In 1955 he was called to be the prefect of discipline at Brunnerdale Seminary. In 1957 he went to St. Mark's Parish in Cincinnati, Ohio, as an assistant pastor, where he stayed one year before becoming chaplain at St. Francis Hospital in La Crosse, Wis. In 1960 he moved to St. Joseph's College in Rensselaer, Ind., as guidance director, and two years later became assistant pastor at St. Augustine's parish in Rensselaer.
In 1963 Fr. Ralph was asked to go to Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park, Ill., as chaplain. In 1964 he became an instructor at Sacred Heart College in Wichita, Kan. In 1967 Fr. Ralph became a chaplain at Mount Marty College in Yankton, SD. His last parish assignment was St. Francis Xavier Church in St. Joseph, Mo., in 1970. In 1971 Fr. Ralph was assigned to Precious Blood Seminary in Liberty as an instructor and as executive secretary of the Kansas City Province. He lived at Precious Blood Seminary until the seminary closed in 1983. In 1995 Fr. Ralph resigned as provincial secretary, but continued to live at Precious Blood Center until he moved to Our Lady of Mercy Country Home in Liberty in 2005. Fr. Ralph spent a number of years as a chaplain in convents and on college campuses, where he undoubtedly impacted many people. Fr. Ralph is especially remembered, however, by students and staff at Precious Blood Seminary, where he taught Latin and assisted many of them in the mimeograph room.
He became a master of the ink copiers and the mimeograph machine. One could always hear his typewriter clicking away in his office writing official letters or getting the next province newsletter ready for printing. Fr. Ralph also had a dry sense of humor and a sensitive style of counseling that invited many students into his office. Students enjoyed his laugh because it began with his entire body quietly bouncing up and down in his chair. Fr. Ralph was very knowledgeable about many aspects of life and had a tremendous love for the Precious Blood Community. He knew the history of the community very well, but his true love was helping to develop the future of the community. He represented the community in a variety of ways and served on a number of committees both nationally and internationally.
Of all his assignments through the years there probably was none that Fr. Ralph enjoyed more than celebrating Eucharist at Our Lady of Mercy Country Home in Liberty. For 32 years he traveled there for the 10:15 a.m. Mass. He was committed and dependable for all those years. He saw many residents come and go, and was very much invited to be part of the Mercedarian Community. He blessed the sisters and the residents with his presence. A special thanks to the sisters and the residents for inviting Fr. Ralph to be part of their lives. As they remember him at the altar, we as province members will also remember Fr. Ralph behind the desk at our assemblies, keeping track of the members and making sure they observed Roberts' Rules of Order. A wake service will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, March 6, at St. James Catholic Church in Liberty with the Mass of Christian Burial celebrated at 11 a.m. Burial will follow at Resurrection Cemetery. Arr.: Fry-Bross & Spidle Funeral Home
He entered Brunnerdale Seminary in September of 1938 and was professed on Dec. 3, 1947. He was ordained to the priesthood on March 25, 1949. Fr. Ralph ministered in a variety of places in his first 20 years of priesthood. He began full time ministry in 1949 in Fond du Lac, Wis., at St. Mary's Springs Academy as a chaplain. In 1955 he was called to be the prefect of discipline at Brunnerdale Seminary. In 1957 he went to St. Mark's Parish in Cincinnati, Ohio, as an assistant pastor, where he stayed one year before becoming chaplain at St. Francis Hospital in La Crosse, Wis. In 1960 he moved to St. Joseph's College in Rensselaer, Ind., as guidance director, and two years later became assistant pastor at St. Augustine's parish in Rensselaer.
In 1963 Fr. Ralph was asked to go to Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park, Ill., as chaplain. In 1964 he became an instructor at Sacred Heart College in Wichita, Kan. In 1967 Fr. Ralph became a chaplain at Mount Marty College in Yankton, SD. His last parish assignment was St. Francis Xavier Church in St. Joseph, Mo., in 1970. In 1971 Fr. Ralph was assigned to Precious Blood Seminary in Liberty as an instructor and as executive secretary of the Kansas City Province. He lived at Precious Blood Seminary until the seminary closed in 1983. In 1995 Fr. Ralph resigned as provincial secretary, but continued to live at Precious Blood Center until he moved to Our Lady of Mercy Country Home in Liberty in 2005. Fr. Ralph spent a number of years as a chaplain in convents and on college campuses, where he undoubtedly impacted many people. Fr. Ralph is especially remembered, however, by students and staff at Precious Blood Seminary, where he taught Latin and assisted many of them in the mimeograph room.
He became a master of the ink copiers and the mimeograph machine. One could always hear his typewriter clicking away in his office writing official letters or getting the next province newsletter ready for printing. Fr. Ralph also had a dry sense of humor and a sensitive style of counseling that invited many students into his office. Students enjoyed his laugh because it began with his entire body quietly bouncing up and down in his chair. Fr. Ralph was very knowledgeable about many aspects of life and had a tremendous love for the Precious Blood Community. He knew the history of the community very well, but his true love was helping to develop the future of the community. He represented the community in a variety of ways and served on a number of committees both nationally and internationally.
Of all his assignments through the years there probably was none that Fr. Ralph enjoyed more than celebrating Eucharist at Our Lady of Mercy Country Home in Liberty. For 32 years he traveled there for the 10:15 a.m. Mass. He was committed and dependable for all those years. He saw many residents come and go, and was very much invited to be part of the Mercedarian Community. He blessed the sisters and the residents with his presence. A special thanks to the sisters and the residents for inviting Fr. Ralph to be part of their lives. As they remember him at the altar, we as province members will also remember Fr. Ralph behind the desk at our assemblies, keeping track of the members and making sure they observed Roberts' Rules of Order. A wake service will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, March 6, at St. James Catholic Church in Liberty with the Mass of Christian Burial celebrated at 11 a.m. Burial will follow at Resurrection Cemetery. Arr.: Fry-Bross & Spidle Funeral Home
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