Heartfelt sympathy Steve Baumbusch

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Heartfelt Sympathy

in the loss of Steve Baumbusch

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In Loving Memory of

Steve Baumbusch

December 23, 1956 -

October 28, 2010

Father Steven Baumbusch, PIME, 53, a Columbus native who was rector of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME) Seminary in Tagaytay, the Philippines, died Thursday, Oct. 28, in a drowning accident just off the Philippine island of Lubang.

A posting by the PIME Fathers on their website said Father Baumbusch was on vacation with a group of seminarians. He and some of the seminarians were swimming away from the shore of the island when they encountered a strong current. The seminarians were able to return to calmer waters with some difficulty and discovered Father Baumbusch was not with them. His body was found by fishermen early in the morning of Oct. 29.

He was born Dec. 23, 1956, in Columbus to the late William and Barbara Baumbusch.

He entered the former PIME Sts. Peter and Paul Seminary in Newark in 1970, saying later that he was inspired to become a priest at an early age by the example of PIME Father Cesare Colombo’s work among the lepers of Burma, now Myanmar. He received a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Detroit and a master of divinity degree from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.

He was ordained a priest at his home parish, Columbus St. Andrew Church, on June 25, 1983, by Bishop James Griffin, then spent six years as a teacher and dean at the seminary and six years as PIME U.S. regional superior in Detroit. During his time as superior, he initiated a mission among the Mixtec Indians that was PIME’s first mission in Mexico. From 1995 to 1998, he was formation director for PIME’s college seminarians in Detroit and regional treasurer for the order.

He left the United States in 1998 for the Philippines, where he served in the village of Colombio on the island of Mindanao, as parish priest at Mary Queen of Apostles Church in the Manila suburb of Paranaque, and finally as seminary rector.

He was preceded in death by a sister, Diane (Dave) Harkless.

Survivors include brothers, Jim (Ellen) and Craig (Nancy).

A Mass will be celebrated for Father Baumbusch at the seminary in Tagaytay on Friday, Nov. 5. Funeral arrangements in Columbus are pending and will be in charge of the John Quint Treboni Funeral Home in Columbus. The Funeral Mass will be at Columbus St. Andrew Church. Burial will be at St. Joseph Cemetery, Lockbourne.