Home / News & Publications / Michigan Catholic News / 2009 / Fr. Forish was a good priest, faithful pastor'
Fr. Forish was a good priest, faithful pastor'
by Robert Delaney of The Michigan Catholic
Published December 11, 2009
DETROIT — Fr. Andrew Forish was "a good priest, a faithful pastor, and he was a good friend of mine, that's for sure," said Fr. Leonard Partensky.
The death of Fr. Forish last Saturday at age 92 leaves Fr. Partensky as the last surviving member of the 1942 Archdiocese of Detroit presbyteral ordination class.
Fr. William Tindall, pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Livonia, said, "Fr. Forish was a very devout man, a loving and caring man, and he really loved this parish, where he was pastor for 20 years (1967-87)."
Even though it had been 16 years since Fr. Forish's time when Fr. Tindall became pastor, he said Fr. Forish would come by frequently to help with various things, such as school confessions.
"He believed strongly in Catholic education, and did his best to see it was always affordable when he was here," Fr. Tindall continued.
Fr. Forish loved sports, and would tease the parish staff whenever the Tigers lost: "Well, I see your Tigers lost last night," but if they won, it was, "Did you hear? My Tigers won last night," Fr. Tindall said.
In retirement, Fr. Forish also helped out as a weekend assistant at St. Colette Parish in Livonia for a number of years before a heart attack a little more than three years ago brought on the onset of vascular dementia, Fr. Tindall added.
Dolores Wohlberg, who was Fr. Forish's housekeeper for 12 years, said he enjoyed going up to a cabin near Alpena that he, Fr. Partensky and three other priests owned, which they called "The Home for Unwed Fathers."
She said she and her husband, Douglas, became good friends with Fr. Forish, and he lived with them for two-and-a-half years after his retirement in 1987.
"We were friends for over 40 years, and he was always very kind – and very proud of being a Catholic priest," Wohlberg said.
Fr. Forish and the Wohlbergs traveled together a number of times, including to Hawaii and Europe, she continued.
"And he married all of our six kids and baptized our 15 grandkids," Wohlberg added.
Andrew Joseph Forish was born Sept. 16, 1917, in Coral, Pa. to Andrew and Frances (Liptak) Forish.
The family moved to Cambridge, Ohio when he was about 5, and then to Detroit in fall 1924. Young Andrew attended SS. Cyril & Methodius School, Detroit, from the second grade, then went on to Sacred Heart Seminary for high school and college. He completed his priestly formation at Mount St. Mary's Seminary in Norwood, Ohio, and was ordained by Cardinal Edward Mooney May 30, 1942.
Fr. Forish served as an assistant pastor at St. Cyril & Methodius Parish, Detroit (1942-47), and at SS. Andrew & Benedict Parish, Detroit (1947-52).
He was named administrator of SS. Andrew & Benedict (1952-61), and then returned to SS. Cyril & Methodius as its pastor (1961-67).
Fr. Forish was appointed pastor of St. Michael the Archangel Parish, Livonia, in 1967, and served there until being granted senior priest status in 1987.
He later served as temporary administrator of St. Agatha Parish in Redford Township for several months in late 1989.
He is survived by his sister-in-law, Eleanor Forish of Rochester Hills.
A funeral Mass was to be celebrated today, Friday, Dec. 11, at 11 a.m., at St. Michael the Archangel Church, Livonia. Burial was to be in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Southfield.
Condolences may be sent to Eleanor Forish, 1077 Willow Grove Court, Rochester Hills 48307.
|
