Kosler Honored After More Than Three Decades as Local Priest
Rev. Tim Kosler, pastor of St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in Schulenburg, retires on June 30. That gives parishioners little time to get used to his new title, “Monsignor.”
The Holy Father Pope Francis bestowed the honor on both Kosler and Rev. Dan Kahlich, the recently-retired priest from Hostyn. The Pope occasionally grants the title to priests for appreciation of long service to the church, typically upon the recommendation from the local bishop. In 2014, Pope Francis limited the honor to priests over age 65 as part of several reforms to the granting of honors, making the title even rarer today.
Kosler said he was surprised when Msgr. John Peters, Vicar General of the Diocese of Victoria, scheduled a meeting with him and Father Dan on Wednesday morning, June 23.
“I figured he wanted us to take care of some other parishes,” Kosler joked at a reception held in his honor that day. “But he said, ‘I have something to hand to you.’ And there it was, the document stating that I was to be a monsignor. I am very thankful for that blessing.”
Kosler celebrated his 50th anniversary in the priesthood back in April. He was ordained on April 23, 1971. He has served as pastor of St. Rose for nearly 30 of those years. Some young adults in the parish have never known another pastor. Kosler will remain available to assist the diocese in retirement. However, Kosler said he looks forward to spending more time on his farm in Lavaca County.
The end of this month will also mark the departure of Father Felix Twumasi, the parochial vicar at St. Rose. The Most Rev. Brenden Cahill, Bishop of the Diocese of Victoria, appointed Twumasi as Administrator of Queen of the Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Hostyn and Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Plum.
Twumasi also spoke at the reception in Schulenburg last Wednesday. He began with his signature call-and-response: “God is good!” To which the crowd responded, “All the time!”
“And all the time,” Twumasi said.
“God is good,” said the crowd.
Folks in Hostyn and Plum will soon get used to that.
A native of Ghana, African, Twumasi was ordained in 2004. He came to St. Rose in 2019. Last year, he served several months as a special minister to those sick and dying from COVID-19 in the Victoria Diocese.
“I left my home country, Ghana, coming to a different land to meet different people, with a lot of anxiety,” he said. “What kind of people am I going to see? But I must say, I feel so comfortable and I feel at home here. You are such nice, nice people.
“I want to say a very big thank you to Monsignor Tim for giving me such a warm welcome, and as a junior priest, sharing your experiences with me,” he added. “I salute you for all you have done for me.”
At Hostyn and Plum, Twumasi replaces Father Bob Knippenberg, who has been assigned to the Sts. Peter & Paul Church in Frelsburg and St. Roch Church in Mentz.
Rev. Scott Hill will take over as pastor of St. Rose of Lima on July 1. The Diocese has not yet announced an associate priest to replace Twumasi.