Date of death: 4/10/2009
Saint Meinrad Class: O 1956
Father Patrick F. Foster, a retired priest of the Diocese of Evansville and former pastor of St. Joseph Church in Jasper, died at his home in St. Louis at age 78.Father Foster was born in Evansville, IN, Oct. 5, 1930, the son of Loretta (Endress) and Andrew Foster. He attended elementary school at St. Mary Church in Evansville, then entered Saint Meinrad Seminary from 1944 to 1956.He was ordained a priest May 25, 1956, and assigned pastor of St. Frances Xavier (The Old Cathedral) in Vincennes.He was named pastor of Holy Name Church in Bloomfield in 1964. He served as pastor of St. John the Apostle Church in Evansville from 1967 to 1968, of St. Wendel Church in St. Wendel from 1968 to 1981 and of Holy Spirit Church in Evansville from 1981 to 1990. He also was administrator of Nativity Church in Evansville from 1990 to 1991.Father Foster was appointed pastor of St. Joseph Church in Jasper on July 10, 1991, where he served until his retirement, March 3, 1999.In addition to his parish responsibilities, Father Foster also taught at Vincennes University where he was chaplain for the Newman Campus Ministry.He taught at St. Rose Academy in Vincennes and served as Superintendent of Catholic High Schools in Vincennes. He also taught at St. John High School in Loogootee. He was a spiritual director at Saint Meinrad Seminary and was chaplain of Marian Day School in Evansville.Along with other services to the diocese, he was a Diocesan Consultor and served several terms on the Priests Personnel Board. He was Priests Personnel Director from 1973 to 1979.In 1974, he was the founder of the Permanent Diaconate program for the Diocese of Evansville and served as the programs director from 1974 to 1976.He was Dean of the Evansville East Deanery in the 1980s and Dean of the Jasper Deanery in the 1990s. He was chaplain for the Knights of St. John and the Ladies Auxiliary; he was also chaplain for the Knights of Columbus and was a member of the Fourth Degree Knights of Columbus.Preceding him in death were two sisters, Margaret Menghini and Mary Dolores Baumgart and four brothers, Paul, William A. “Bud”, Edward and Reverend John J. Foster.He is survived by nieces and nephews and his friend and caregiver, Carol J. Drifka.Memorial contributions to St. Anthony Hospice.