Reverend Father Matthew Kafka,  

Reverend Matthew Stanley Kafka 1933-2017

Father Matthew Kafka celebrates 50 years of Priesthood

MICHIGAN — Father Matthew S. Kafka celebrated his golden jubilee as priest on May 29 this year.

Born in 1933 to Matthew and Helen Kafka in Chicago the young Matthew received his primary education at Sacred Heart of Jesus and St. Helen schools in Chicago, and his high school education at DePaul Academy in Chicago.

His college studies were completed at DePaul University in Chicago before he entered seminary training at Ss. Cyril and Methodius Seminary, Orchard Lake, Michigan.

Ordained to the Priesthood on May 29, 1965, by Bishop Leo A. Pursley at St. Matthew Cathedral in South Bend, the young Father Kafka served first as assistant at St. Adalbert Parish in South Bend. In 1971 he was appointed assistant at St. Patrick Parish in Fort Wayne and three years later to Holy Family Parish in South Bend again as assistant.

Father Kafka served as assistant at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Elkhart in 1976 and was appointed administrator for St. Mary of the Lake in Culver in 1978. By 1979, Father Kafka was appointed as pastor of St. Mary of the Lake and shepherded the faithful there until 1986 when he was appointed pastor of St. Hedwig Parish in South Bend.

In 1988, Father Kafka went into hospital ministry and by 1990 he was assigned as chaplain at St. Joseph Medical Center, Fort Wayne, with residence at St. Patrick Church. Eight years later he served once again in a parish setting, this time as associate pastor at St. Charles Borromeo Parish, then at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, both in Fort Wayne. In July of 2000, Father Kafka was called to serve as pastor at St. Patrick in Arcola.

In June of 2001 Father Kafka took a medical leave and retired on Sept. 1, 2002. Father Kafka currently resides in Michigan. Today's Cathloic Jun 7 2015

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Reverend Father Matthew Kafka, age 84, of Imlay City, Michigan died Tuesday, December 5, 2017 at St. Joseph Mercy - Oakland of Pontiac, MI.

Matthew Stanley Kafka was born September 15, 1933 in Chicago, IL. He is the son of the late Mathew S. and the late Helen (Sarna) Kafka, Sr.

Matthew was a high school graduate of DePaul College Prep in Chicago, IL. Attended DePaul University in Chicago, IL. Matthew served in the Army during the Post Korean War Era war from 1956 to 1958. He attended Seminary School at SS. Cyril & Methodius in Orchard Lake, Michigan, and Ordained at St. Matthew's Cathedral, South Bend, IN on May 29, 1965. From 1965-2001 he served at several churches as Assistant, a Pastor, and a Seminarian. 1965 at St. Adalbert, South Bend, IN; 1971 as Assistant at St. Patrick, Fort Wayne, IN; 1976 as Assistant at Holy Family, South Bend, IN; 1978 as Administrator at St. Mary of the Lake, Culver, IN; 1979 as Pastor of St. Mary of the Lake, Culver, IN; 1987as Pastor of St. Hedwig, South Bend, IN; 1988 at Orchard Lake Seminary, Orchard Lake, MI; 1991 as Pastor of St. Patrick, Fort Wayne, IN; 2000 as Associate Pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Fort Wayne, IN; 2001 as Pastor of St. Patrick Arcola, Fort Wayne, IN.

In 2002, Fr. Matt retired to St. Cornelius in Dryden, MI and concluded his retirement at Sacred Heart in Imlay City.

Fr. Matt is preceded in death by: his parents: Mathew & Helen Kafka.

A Mass of Christian burial will be held 10:00 am on Saturday, December 9 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 700 Maple Vista, Imlay City, MI with Rev. Fr. Paul Ward officiating.

A Rosary will be held 6:00 pm on December 8, 2017 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church followed by solemn vespers 6:30 pm, Mass of the Day at 7 pm and Scripture and Vigil for the Dead at 8 pm.

Burial will be in Resurrection Cemetery, 7200 Archer Avenue, Justice, Illinois 60501, on Tuesday, December 12 at 1:00 pm. Visiting hours will be from 3 - 8 PM Friday, December 8 and from 9 am - 10 am Saturday, December 9 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, Imlay City, Michigan.

Please be sure to sign our on-line register book at muirbrothersfh . com

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Father Matthew Kafka passed on from this life on December 5. 2017 at the age of 84.

A priest of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Father Kafka was ordained on May 29, 1965. After his retirement in 2002, he was granted faculties in the Archdiocese of Detroit.

Visitation for Father Kafka will be held at Sacred Heart Parish, 700 Maple Vista Street, Imlay City, Michigan 48444, on Friday, December 8, from 3 – 8 p.m. with a Rosary at 6:00 p.m.; and Scripture and Vigil for the Dead at 8:00 p.m.

Visitation will also be held at Sacred Heart Parish, 700 Maple Vista Street, Imlay City, Michigan 48444, on Saturday, December 9, at 9:00 a.m. until the celebration of his Funeral Mass at 10:00 A.M. A reception will follow his Mass at the VFW Hall, 598 N. Almont Ave., Imlay City 48444.

Father Kafka’s burial will take place on Tuesday, December 12 at 1:00 p.m. at Resurrection Cemetery, Justice, Illinois.

Father Kafka is predeceased by his parents, Mathew and Helen.

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Father Kafka laid to rest in Michigan

FORT WAYNE — Father Matthew Kafka, a priest of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, died Tuesday, Dec. 5, at the age of 84, at St. Joseph Mercy-Oakland in Pontiac, Michigan. He had lived in Imlay City, Michigan, since his retirement in 2002.

Born Matthew Stanley Kafka on Sept. 15, 1933, in Chicago, Illinois, Father Kafka was the son of the late Mathew S. and the late Helen (Sarna) Kafka, Sr. He was a high school graduate of DePaul College Prep in Chicago and attended DePaul University.

Father Kafka served in the Army during the post-Korean War era, 1956-58. He attended seminary at SS. Cyril & Methodius in Orchard Lake, Michigan, and was ordained at St. Matthew Cathedral, South Bend, on May 29, 1965.

From 1965-2001 Father Kafka served at several churches as a seminarian, assistant or pastor. In 1965 he served at St. Adalbert Parish, South Bend; in 1971 he was appointed the assistant at St. Patrick Parish, Fort Wayne. In 1976 Father Kafka was appointed the assistant at Holy Family Parish, South Bend.

In 1978 Father Kafka became the administrator at St. Mary of the Lake Parish, Culver, and in 1979 was named its pastor. In 1987 he was named pastor of St. Hedwig Parish, South Bend. He served at Orchard Lake Seminary, Orchard Lake, Michigan, beginning in 1988.

Father Kafka became the pastor of St. Patrick Parish, Fort Wayne, in 1991; subsequent appointments include associate pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Fort Wayne, in 2000; and pastor of St. Patrick Parish, Arcola, in 2001.

In 2002, Father Kafka retired to St. Cornelius Parish in Dryden, Michigan, and concluded his retirement at Sacred Heart Parish in Imlay City.

A Mass of Christian burial took place Dec. 9 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Imlay City, with Father Paul Ward officiating. A rosary was prayed on Dec. 8, at Sacred Heart Catholic Church, followed by solemn vespers and Scripture and a Vigil for the Dead. Burial was in Resurrection Cemetery, Justice, Illinois on Dec. 12.

Prayers for the repose of the soul of Father Kafka are being offered during Masses throughout the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend.