February 6, 1937-April 3, 2026

Fr. James Franck, C.PP.S., 89, died on Good Friday, April 3, 2026, in the infirmary at St. Charles Center, Carthagena. He had been in failing health.

He was born on February 6, 1937, in St. Henry, Ohio, to Edmund and Bernadine (Hoying) Franck. He entered the Missionaries of the Precious Blood in 1951 at Brunnerdale, the Missionaries' former high school seminary near Canton, Ohio, and was ordained on May 31, 1964.

After his ordination, Fr. Franck served at St. Anthony Parish in Detroit, then as an instructor at Cardinal Newman High School in Santa Rosa, Calif., from 1965-74. From 1968-74, he also served as formation and vocation director for the Province of the Pacific. From 1974-76, Fr. Franck served at the Christian Brothers Retreat House in St. Helena, Calif. In 1974, he was elected to leadership in that province.

Fr. Franck returned to Cardinal Newman High School from 1976-79 as a high school and adult education instructor. He then returned to parish ministry, serving at St. Anthony Parish in Manteca, Calif. (1979-82); St. Francis Parish in East Palo Alto, Calif. (1982-84); and St. Agnes Parish in Los Angeles (1984-90).

In 1990, Fr. Franck was elected provincial director of the Province of the Pacific, and served two terms. In 1998, Fr. Franck was appointed director of initial and advanced formation at the Sonnino House in Berkeley, Calif. In 2000, he returned to St. Agnes Parish as the parochial vicar. In 2003, he became the pastor at St. Agnes Parish. He served as pastoral associate at St. Edward Church in Newark, Calif., from 2005 until his retirement in 2018. He then moved to St. Charles Center.

Fr. Franck celebrated the 60th anniversary of his ordination in 2024.

Fr. Franck was conscientious, bright and well read. He was an earnest preacher whose congregation leaned forward to hear what he had to say. A Missionary who moved far from home for his ministry, he found ways to make a new home for himself in California. He thoroughly enjoyed the years he ministered with his brother, Fr. John Franck, also a Missionary of the Precious Blood, at St. Agnes in Los Angeles. He was physically fit and loved long-distance bicycle rides.

Missionaries must be ready to move on, but Fr. Franck could not help putting down roots at the parishes where he served as a pastor. It was wrenching for him to leave those whom he viewed as his faith family. He recounted that when he left one parish assignment, towing a U-Haul with his earthly possessions, he had to pull over to the side of the road because he was nearly blinded tears. Until the end of his long life, he would pull out the scrapbook of photos given to him by parishioners, and be warmed by the faces within, as if by a campfire.

When he thought about his life of ministry, he once said, "gratitude would be the highest emotion. It was a privilege to be able to serve, to be with the people, to do what I could for them, and to receive from them in return."

Fr. Franck was preceded in death by his brother, Fr. John Franck.

He is survived by his siblings and their spouses, Richard and Mary Franck, St. Henry; Mary and William Borger, Tipp City, Ohio; and Dianne Corbin, Indianapolis; many nieces and nephews, great nieces and great-nephews.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Thursday, April 9, at 2 p.m., with Fr. Barry Fischer, C.PP.S., presiding. Fr. Steve Dos Santos, C.PP.S., will be the homilist. Burial will follow in the Community cemetery.

Viewing will be held on Wednesday, April 8, from 1-7 p.m. with a wake service at 7 p.m. at St. Charles Center, and on Thursday from 9 a.m. until the time of the funeral.