Born Jacob Ahler on July 29, 1890 in Frankfort, Kentucky, he was the son of Jacob and Isabella Ahler. He went to Frankfort High School and graduated with honors in 1909. He had the opportunity to meet Father Charles Cassidy, C.P. on a Passionist mission in his home parish. This set in him the desire to enter the Passionists. He went to the Passionist Prep at St. Paul, Kansas and then to the Prep in Chicago, Illinois. He then was deemed able to enter the Passionist novitiate in Louisville, Kentucky. He was professed on August 30, 1911. His religious name was Andrew. He was a student in Chicago and then in Normandy, Missouri in 1913. Next he was in St. Paul, Kansas where he was ordained on June 27, 1917. After an extra year of post-ordination studies in Moral Theology and sacred eloquence, he was assigned to Cincinnati, Ohio where he was a preacher of the Forty Hours. He also was an active preacher throughout Kansas. He was stationed in Detroit, Michigan and Des Moines, Iowa. In 1920 he was assistant pastor at the monastery church, St. Paul, Kansas and then later was pastor at the Catholic Church, South Mound, Kansas. The church had been destroyed by a fire in 1928 but Father Ahler arrived on August 9, 1928 with the support of the people to rebuild the edifice. On June 30, 1929 it was dedicated. The architect was E. Bauer. In the 1947 he was in Louisville. He worked, after some illness at St. Elizabeth Hospital and he was the first hospital chaplain at Lady of Peace Hospital. He died at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, Louisvilleafter a long period of disability and poor health.
Birth Date:
July 29, 1890
Profession Date:
August 30, 1911
Ordination Date:
June 27, 1917
Death Date:
July 2, 1955