Date of death: 10/30/2010
Saint Meinrad Class: O 1956
Father Sylvester N. “Sy” Loehrlein passed away at Providence Home in Jasper. He would have observed his 82nd birthday Nov. 7.During his years of active ministry, Father Loehrlein served in parish and school positions in the Diocese of Evansville. He was involved in Cursillo and Charismatic Renewal programs.Sylvester Loehrlein was born Nov. 7, 1928, the son of Edward and Beatrice (Koenig) Loehrlein. They were members of St. Boniface Church in Fulda, which is now part of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.He had four brothers and four sisters, including Richard, a Marianist priest, and Marcy, a Marianist sister.Preceding him in death were his parents; sister, Anna Mae Harris of Evansville; brother, Earl, of Huntsville, Ala.; and brother, James, who died in infancy.Survivors include siblings and spouses, Melvina Wathen of Rockport; Father Richard Loehrlein, a Marianist priest now in Kenya; Norbert and Martha Loehrlein of Evansville; Earl’s wife, Elisabeth; sister, Marcy Loehrlein, F.M.I., of San Antonio, Texas; Cyrilla and Linus Eickoff of Evansville; and 27 nieces and nephews.Father Loehrlein prepared for the priesthood at Saint Meinrad Seminary and in Innsbruck, Austria. He was ordained a priest on March 18, 1956, and celebrated his First Solemn High Mass at St. Joseph Church in Evansville.His first parish assignments included Holy Trinity and St. Anthony churches in Evansville, while teaching at Memorial High School, also in Evansville.He went to Sacred Heart Church in Vincennes as an assistant pastor in 1959, then to St. Boniface Church in Evansville in 1962.His first pastorate was St. Bernard Church, Snake Run, in 1963.In 1969, Father Loehrlein returned to Evansville, in residence with his father, while teaching at Mater Dei High School; he served as chaplain at the Evansville State Hospital from 1969 to 1970.He was named associate pastor of Good Shepherd Church in Evansville in 1970, while serving as a counselor at Mater Dei High School.In 1971, he returned to Vincennes as associate pastor of Sacred Heart Church.In 1973, Father Loehrlein was assigned as co-administrator of St. John the Apostle Church in Evansville, co-chaplain of Marian Day School and Inner City Ministry. He remained at St. John Church, as administrator in 1976, then as pastor in 1978.He went to St. Rupert Church, Red Brush, in 1988 as pastor, also serving as associate pastor of St. Clement Church, Boonville, then to St. Martin Church, Chrisney, later that year.He was named pastor of St. Rupert Church in 1989, also serving as chaplain at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Evansville.In 1991, he briefly served as pastor of St. Peter Church, Montgomery, St. Patrick, Corning, and St. Michael, Daviess County; then returned to St. Rupert where he remained until his retirement, Jan. 28, 2004.Memorial contributions may be made to the Marianist Sisters in San Antonio, Texas, or to the Marianist Brothers in St. Louis.Published in the Evansville Courier and Press on 11/2/2011.