Father Frank Bussmann, 72, dies suddenly, was pastor of the Fulton and Mokane parishes

There were two framed pictures on top of Father Frank Bussmann’s casket: one of him in his clerics, the other of him holding an infant grandchild.

Fr. Bussmann, 72, pastor of St. Peter parish in Fulton and St. Jude Thaddeus parish in Mokane, died Nov. 24 in a St. Louis hospital, surrounded by his family.

The father of four and grandfather of seven had a major stroke and lost control of his car while driving back to his rectory on Thanksgiving Day.

No one else was injured.

“He was busy being so many things to so many people,” one of his sons stated in a eulogy. “He was busy being a priest, a dad, a grandfather, a brother, an uncle, a role model, a leader, a teacher, a confidante, a friend, a man of unshakable faith, with a seemingly bottomless wealth of patience, sound advice and unconditional love.

“But he was never too busy to listen, reflect and forgive,” the son added.

The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Nov. 28 in St. Peter Church in Fulton, with Bishop Emeritus John R. Gaydos of Jefferson City presiding, longtime friend Father Wayne Boyer preaching the homily and more than 40 other priests concelebrating.

Burial was in Calvary Cemetery in St. Louis.

The church, which seats about 250 people, was full, as were rows of chairs in the vestibule, with many additional congregants gathering in the school gym to watch the Mass on closed-circuit TV.

“It’s probably good Fr. Frank isn’t here!” one of his sons said at the end of Mass. “There’s nowhere for him to sit! He’d probably give up his seat and go sit in the gym.”

From father to Father

Fr. Bussmann was born on May 2, 1945, in Naples Italy, the oldest of six children of the late Norbert Vincent and Concetta Maria “Tina” (Scafora) Bussmann.

He attended Catholic elementary and high schools in St. Louis, the University of Notre Dame and Saint Louis University School of Law.

He served in the U.S. Army Reserve from 1968-74, reaching the rank of Specialist 5.

Before going into private law practice, he was an assistant prosecutor for the State of Missouri and a federal prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s office in St. Louis.

He was married to Holly Bussmann. In 1993, they went through a sad but reasonably amicable divorce that led to an annulment.

Fr. Bussmann expressed to a spiritual director the sadness he felt about a priestly calling he believed it was too late to answer.

“One Saturday, I got a call from Bishop Gaydos,” Fr. Boyer recalled. “He had taken a call from a lawyer from Clayton who was interested in Priesthood, and his spiritual director had suggested that he talk to us in the Jefferson City diocese.”

Bishop Gaydos asked Fr. Boyer, who had also answered a priestly calling after pursuing another career, to talk to the aspiring seminarian.

The two men quickly became friends.

Fr. Bussmann’s sons were not surprised when he talked to them about wanting to enter the seminary.

He had been a daily communicant since 1979, maintaining that “missing Mass is like a day without sunshine.”

“As I have gotten older and reflected back on his days of discernment about the Priesthood, I realize now just how much courage it took for him to give up a relatively comfortable life in St. Louis, with his family,” Fr. Bussmann’s son, Charlie Bussmann, noted.

In 2003, following 25 years in private law practice, he entered seminary at Sacred Heart School of Theology in Hales Corners, Wisconsin.

“I am so grateful that there is a chance for me — a good chance! — to be ordained to the Priesthood and have the opportunity to minister to the People of God in Jesus’ name,” he told the people at a 2005 fundraiser for vocations.

He spent summers as an intern at the Martinsburg, Hannibal and Rolla parishes.

He served as a transitional deacon in three parishes in the Milwaukee archdiocese.

Bishop Gaydos ordained him to the Holy Priesthood on Dec. 11, 2006, in the Cathedral of St. Joseph in Jefferson City.

Vesting him were Fr. Boyer and a friend from St. Louis, Monsignor Dennis Delaney.

Fr. Bussmann called it “the most extraordinary day of my life.”

“Only Divine Providence could have imagined such a day as this!” he wrote.

Battle-tested

He served as associate pastor of St. Peter parish in Jefferson City, 2006-09; pastor of Immaculate Conception parish in Montgomery City and sacramental minister of St. Patrick parish in Jonesburg, 2009-11; and pastor at St. Peter parish in Fulton and St. Jude Thaddeus parish in Mokane until his death.

He was also the diocesan vicar for the permanent diaconate.

Two years into Priesthood, he wrote of being able to use the rich experiences of his life to reach people where they are.

He mentioned the joy of being able to minister out of weakness and human frailty, rather than out of vigor and strength, “as I pour myself out in humble service to the people of God.”

He worked hard on homilies and enjoyed opening up God’s Word for his congregants.

“We really have a battle between light and darkness on our hands,” he once noted, “and we need to encourage our people to strive toward holiness.”

Very sudden

As Fr. Bussmann’s condition deteriorated, Fr. Boyer hurried to the hospital to anoint him as well as Fr. Bussmann’s sons, “who were also suffering — not in the same way as their dad, but in spirit.”

Bishop Gaydos prayed the Prayer of Commendation over Fr. Bussmann.

Fr. Boyer upended the sports metaphor of “sudden death.”

“Knowing this man who loved his sons, who loved his grandchildren, his daughters-in-law, who loved his brother priests, who loved the God we call Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who loved the God Who became one of us in order to reconcile the world — this gentle man who loved the Church, who loved the people of the parishes in which he served — I submit to you that what happened this past Friday night was not ‘sudden death’ but sudden life!” he said.

“Gentle soul”

Parishioner Deb Jacobsen, in a Nov. 26 blog entry, wrote that Fr. Bussmann’s knowledge of Scripture and love of the saints helped him give great homilies, especially for children.

“The students truly liked ‘Fr. Frank,’” she wrote. “I often have heard students who were altar servers comment on how they enjoyed serving Mass with ‘Fr. Frank’ because he never got upset if they made a mistake.”

“Fr. Frank was a gentle soul,” said Father Austin Okoli, canonical administrator of the Montgomery City and Jonesburg parishes and dean of the Mexico Deanery. “He took time to listen to people and share the faith with them.

“He touched the lives of so many people,” said Fr. Okoli. “The people will always remember him as a kind and gentle shepherd.”

Fr. Bussmann’s brother Jack said he never minded when people mixed him up with his priestly sibling.

“He’s my big brother and he’s always been my hero,” Mr. Bussmann said.

Deacon John Neudecker said Fr. Bussmann led collegially, insightfully and with a clear understanding that “you can’t minister to people that you’ve run off.”

“He was very careful with the flock, always trying to work around the edges and not charge out in to the middle and scare the sheep,” said the deacon, who serves at the Fulton and Mokane parishes.

“He encouraged us and allowed us to not just follow but to help him lead and to minister to one another,” Deacon Neudecker noted. “He’s been a mentor, he’s been a friend, and we will miss him dearly.”

“Pray for me”

“On behalf of our family, I want to thank everyone for all of the kind words, stories and condolences,” said Fr. Bussmann’s son Charlie. “We have been uplifted and at times overwhelmed with the love and support from the community, not only of Fulton and Mokane but also Montgomery City, Jonesburg and St. Peter in Jefferson City.”

He thanked the priests of the diocese, especially those who organized the Funeral Mass, the music ministers, and the faculty, staff “and especially the students” of St. Peter School.

“Fr. Frank loved you all, spoke of you often, and I know he especially loved giving those hugs at the end of Mass,” he said.

Father to most, Dad to his sons and “Grandpa Franky” to his grandchildren, Fr. Bussmann mailed dozens if not hundreds of handwritten letters to family members.

He left one more behind for them to find. It said, in part, “I’m very proud of all of you. Everything we’ve dealt with is very much worth it. ... When tough times come in your life, always do what you believe is right. ... Pray for me, please, after I’m gone, as I’ll pray for you.”

Surviving are three brothers: John Bussmann (Gina Kaskie), Tom Bussmann and Ed Bussmann; two sisters: Mary Adams, Lisa Stein; four sons: Samuel Bussmann (Christina Mullen) of Columbus, Ohio, Joshua Bussmann (Amanda LaBoo) and Charles Bussmann (Anne Barry) of St. Louis, and Stepson Matthew Bussmann of Hilton Head, South Carolina; and seven grandchildren ranging from 6 weeks to almost 11 years old.