Father Frank Leon Gelskey

Born April 20, 1933 in Weiser, Idaho to Leon Peter Gelskey and Nettie May Gelskey, Father Gelskey received his calling to the Priesthood at an early age while traveling in a high school group at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes. The call he received from The Blessed Mother was the beginning of a lifelong devotion to her and 53 years of service to Our Lord.

Father Gelskey made his Simple Profession on Nov. 22, 1959 and was ordained on July 15, 1962 at Santa Maria Tulpetlac, Mexico, the same church our Blessed Mother in her fifth apparition as Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to St. Juan Diego. Father Gelskey celebrated his first Solemn Mass on August 5, 1962 in Weiser, Idaho.

Father Gelskey received undergraduate and doctoral degrees in 1959 from the National University of Mexico in Spanish Letters as well as doctoral degrees in 1960 from the University of Salamanca in Philosophy and Spanish Letters. Fluent in several foreign languages, “Professor” Gelskey provided instruction at the University of Mexico and the University of Poznan.

Father Gelskey served four years as the Chaplain at the famous leper colony at Zoquianpan, Mexico. When he and other priests were expelled by the Mexican government he was forced to work in the modernist Phoenix, AZ diocese where Father Gelskey, an outspoken traditional priest managed to avoid saying the New Mass which was being implemented at that time.

Father was then assigned to an extremely poor parish in the Phoenix diocese and while remodeling the rectory contracted a near fatal disease from the construction activity. After recovering he provided service at the Maria Stellis Maris Mission in San Pedro, CA and assisted at Father Schell’s Traditional Mission in Garden Grove, CA. Father Gelskey met Mr. Armand Marcoux and this would become the genesis for establishing a permanent chapel in the San Bernardino area.

On August 8, 1980, Father Gelskey celebrated the first Mass for ten families at a senior citizen’s facility located 5 miles from the present Colton Church site. Father Gelskey would travel many miles to celebrate the Traditional Mass in many different locations throughout the southwestern United States. In southern California with the assistance of Messrs. Herman Face and Marcoux, a collapsible altar was used.

In October 1981 Father Gelskey took the proceeds from the sale of his own home and with generous donations from future parishioners and complete strangers purchased a foreclosed protestant church which would become St. Joseph and the Immaculate Heart of Mary Roman Catholic Church. On January 31, 1982, Father Gelskey blessed the building, celebrated a Solemn High Mass and concluded the ceremonies with a reception.

During the following years the church building was expanded to include a two story Annex Hall, kitchen, bookstore, library and music room. Father Gelskey had aspirations of also establishing a seminary for priests and a convent for nuns at the Colton church.

Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre would visit the Colton church twice and in May 1983 solemnly blessed the church and confirmed 66 new soldiers of Christ. His final visit was in 1985 and two months later Father Gelskey collapsed and was bedridden. Doctors ordered him to stop his pastoral duties or he would die within a matter of weeks.

After a year of recuperation in Wrightwood, Father Gelskey began to offer Mass for traditional groups in Hesperia, Phelan, Barstow, Victorville and Apple Valley. He established another chapel in Phelan, the Blessed Sacrament Mission, where he would serve until 1997 when his health would no longer enable him to serve.

Recently, Father Gelskey returned to the St. Joseph and Immaculate Heart of Mary Roman Catholic Church and was overcome with emotion to see the completion of magnificent Stations of the Cross on church grounds. His dream in 1982 and has now come to fruition.

Father Gelskey and lifelong friend, Tom Morrisey became acquainted as a result of Mr. Morrisey inquiring about a religious life as a monk. Together they travelled the world, while Mr. Morrisey facilitated Father’s life of service. They have many dear friends in countries too numerous to mention.

In Mid-March, Father Gelskey predicted the death of Mother Angelica of EWTN fame on Easter Sunday. They shared the same birthday, she being born 10 years before Father. When her name was mentioned in his final hours, his last audible words were, “I love her”.

He is survived by his best friend and lifelong companion, Thomas Morrisey, brother, Edward James Gelskey and his wife, Mary Darlene Gelskey as well as his many loving nieces, nephews, cousins, bishops, priests, nuns, parishioners and friends throughout the world.

Father Gelskey was predeceased by his sisters: Barbara Frank and husband, Rowan, Mary Raney, her husband, Emmett and son, Dale Raney, Brother Albert Gelskey and his wife, Della, and by Leon James Gelskey, his nephew.

Father Frank Leon Gelskey leaves a vast legacy of service and devotion to the Lord and His people. He was truly a man who would not compromise, a man of God who led many to Christ and was always the voice for those who could not speak and a friend of the poor and downtrodden.