Maryknoll Fr. Louis B. Rost, 89, a native of Jefferson City, served for decades in Taiwan

Maryknoll Father Louis B. Rost, 89, a Jefferson City native who ministered in Taiwan for over 60 years, died on Nov. 12 at Maryknoll’s Mission St. Teresa’s care facility in Maryknoll, New York.

He had been a priest for 62 years.

The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Nov. 15 in the Queen of Apostles Chapel, with Maryknoll Father John Moran presiding and preaching the homily.

Burial was in the Maryknoll Society Cemetery, with Father Edward J. McGovern conducting the graveside service.

He was born on Nov. 13, 1927, in Jefferson City, the fifth of sixth children born to Louis and Euphemia (Dudenhoeffer) Rost.

He attended Immaculate Conception Elementary and High Schools in Jefferson City and graduated from St. Peter High School in 1945.

He studied for a year at St. Louis Preparatory Seminary in St. Louis before entering the Catholic Foreign Mission Society of America, also known as Maryknoll, in September 1946.

On June 11, 1955, in Maryknoll, Bishop Raymond A. Lane, superior general of the Maryknoll Fathers, ordained him to the Holy Priesthood.

Fr. Rost was immediately assigned to Taiwan, where he spent his entire missionary career.

After language study, his first assignment was to a very large parish in Tien Chung where, in 1957, 832 people were baptized.

In 1959, while taking part in rescue operations in flood-stricken parts of the island, he narrowly escaped death when the helicopter he was riding in crashed.

After several months of refresher language study, Fr. Rost was assigned to Shuili, where he served as pastor from July 1958 through November 1965.

Although he was instrumental in constructing several chapels, the Catholic communities in Thau-Sia and Sun Moon Lake dissipated after his tenure at Shuili.

In 1966, Fr. Rost represented Taiwan’s missioners at Maryknoll’s Fifth General Chapter, in which important applications of the decrees, declarations and constitutions of recently completed Second Vatican Council were considered.

In 1968, he was appointed Second Consultor for the Taiwan Region, and he was appointed Third Assistant Regional of Taiwan in 1979.

From 1975 through 1986, he served as pastor of Holy Cross parish in Changhua City. He considered those 11 years the highpoint of his mission career.

During his tenure there, he started a parish pastoral council, which is still active today, and oversaw the parish becoming self-supporting for the first time since its founding.

He was appointed pastor of Sacred Heart of Mary Church in Changhua Hsien in 1991. He was given retirement status in January 1998 but continued to serve in his position as pastor.

He remained in Taiwan until 2016, when he took up residence at Mission St. Teresa’s.

“It has been a privilege to serve the Church in Taiwan as a Maryknoll missioner,” he stated at the time of his 60th priestly jubilee in 2015. “Praise and thanks to God!”

Fr. Rost was allowed to travel every 8 years, and he would come home to Jefferson City and would often celebrate Mass at I.C. during his two-month break.

Among his living relatives are Maryknoll Sister Marie Corinne Rost, age 100, who resides at Maryknoll.