Cody, Monsignor Nicholas

MONSIGNOR NICHOLAS CODY

 June 6, 1976

Personal Info

  • Date of Birth:  25 July 1895
  • Place of Birth in Ireland: Jordanstown, Whitehall
  • County: Kilkenny
  • Date of Ordination: 9 June 1929
  • Place of Ordination: St Louis, Missouri
  • Education: St Joseph Academy, Bagenalstown; St Patrick’s College, Carlow and Kenrick-Glennon Seminary, St Louis, MO.
  • Ordained by: Archbishop John Glennon

Diocesan Appointments

  • Assistant – Blessed Sacrament, Wichita – 7/1/1929 to 9/16/1929
  • Assistant – St Mary Parish, Derby – 8/25/1929 to 7/31/1935
  • Pastor – St Francis Xavier Parish, Seward, KS and – 8/1/1935 to 6/30/1940
  • Pastor – St Nicholas Catholic Church in Kinsley, KS – 7/1/1940 to 4/24/1948
  • Founding Pastor – Holy Savior Parish, Wichita – 4/25/1948 to 6/7/1957
  • Monsignor – Named Prelate of Honor, Rome – 6/9/1957
  • Pastor – Blessed Sacrament Parish, Wichita – 1957 to 4/30/1961
  • Pastor – St Patrick Parish, Wichita – 5/1/1961 to 6/30/1970
  • Chancery – Diocesan School Board of Priests Member – 4/9/1963
  • Chancery – Diocesan Consultor – 5/1/1963
  • Chaplain – St Joseph Hospital, Wichita – 1970 to 1973

 

Monsignor Cody joined the Diocese of Wichita to be with his brother, Monsignor John Cody, who later became a priest for the Dodge City Diocese when the new diocese was formed in 1951. Monsignor Nicholas Cody initially studied for the priesthood at St Joseph’s Academy in Bagenalstown and at St Patrick’s College in Carlow. He finished out his seminary studies at Kenrick-Glennon Seminary in St. Louis, MO.

In 1946, the Catholic Advance reported that Rev. Nicholas Cody, pastor of St. Nicholas Parish, Kinsley, addressed the graduates of Sacred Heart College and Academy at their commencement exercises. His Excellency, the Most Rev. Christian H. Winkelmann awarded the diplomas to 15 sophomores of Sacred Heart College and 31 Sacred Heart Academy seniors. While at Kinsley, Father initiated the construction of an addition to the church nearly doubling the seating capacity. The church was dedicated on April 12, 1949.

In announcing the formal decree for Holy Savior, the new parish in Wichita, the Catholic Advance stated that “During the past two weeks, Father Cody has been taking a census of the new parish. So far, he has visited 123 Catholic homes and found that they have 140 children of grade school age.” In addition, the Advance stated that the parish neighborhood was experiencing a residential boom as there were 600 new homes under construction at the time.

Father Cody was quick to point out while pastor of St Nicholas’ Parish in Kinsley that he was near the most photographed signpost in the country as Kinsley was exactly 1,561 miles from New York City and the exact same miles from San Francisco. He said that Kinsley finally had to securely bolt the sign to a concrete slab as many tourists were stealing the sign. In addition, Kinsley is only 26 miles from Greensburg where the largest hand-dug well in the world is located and is quite a tourist attraction.

When Father Cody, as assistant from Blessed Sacrament, was transferred to Seward, Kansas, the parish held a going away party at Crestview Country Club for him. His parting gift was a shining Ford V8 with license tags and 11 miles showing on the speedometer!

  • Date of Death: 6 June 1976
  • Place of Death: St Joseph Hospital – Wichita, KS
  • Age of Death: 80
  • Funeral Celebrant: Bishops David Maloney, principal celebrant and Mark K. Carroll, homilist at St Patrick’s Church, Wichita, KS
  • Burial: Resurrection Mausoleum – Wichita, KS

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