A Mass of Christian Burial for Missionary of the Precious Blood Father George Albers was celebrated Nov. 19 at St. Charles Center in Carthagena. Father Albers, 97, died Nov. 15 in the infirmary at St. Charles.

Father Albers was a Cincinnati native. The priesthood was a second career for him; earlier in life he was a talented and well-respected architect. In his work with Ed Schulte and Associates of Cincinnati, he designed churches and cathedrals all over the country, including work on the Cathedral of St. Peter in Chains in Cincinnati.

He entered religious formation in 1954, and was ordained on June 9, 1962, in Carthagena. He celebrated the 50^th anniversary of his ordination in June 2012. After his ordination, he ministered at St. Joseph, Hamilton; Holy Angels, Dayton; Holy Rosary, St. Marys; and St. Joseph, Dayton, and other parishes outside the archdiocese. He was also an instructor at Julienne High School in Dayton.

In 1972, he was named a chaplain at St. Joseph Hospital in Fort Wayne, Ind. He also served at Timken Mercy Hospital in Canton. He returned to parish ministry in 1978 at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish (now Our Lady, Queen of Peace) in Cleveland. He remained in residence there after his retirement in 1982. Father Albers moved to St. Charles Center in 2000.

Interment was in the community cemetery.