Priest Who Served U City, Wash U Community Has Died

A priest who served the University City and Washington University communities for many years has died.

Msgr. Jerome Wilkerson was 88. He died March 28, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Wilkerson became the founding director in 1963 of the Newman Center at the Washington University medical campus. He also served as a pastor of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in the 1980s.

The St. Louis Review's obituary reported that Wilkerson was appointed pastor of Lourdes in 1982. He was named pastor of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Clayton in 1994.

He retired in 1999.

The Post obituary noted Wilkerson's reputation as a "society priest."

Quoting from the Post:

He was a longtime priest for the Busch family and celebrated Christmas Mass for many years at Grant’s Farm, his family recalled. He preached at the funeral of Tennessee Williams at the famed writer’s 1983 service at the St. Louis Cathedral.

Services

A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 7 p.m. Friday, April 5, at Our Lady of Lourdes Church in University City.