Msgr. Lawrence H. St. Peter—Assignment Record

Summary of Case: Abuse case settled on July 1, 2008.

Ordained: 1959
Incardinated: Denver archdiocese 1959-2003

     

Start Stop Parish Town State Position Notes

1959

Archbishop was Urban J. Vehr (1931-67).

 1970 St. John the Evangelist Denver CO 2/3, 3/3. Pastor was Msgr. John P. Moran. Other priest was Rev. Robert Durrie, who was replaced in 1960 by Rev. Gerard F. Cusack. Rev. Paul F. Wicker replaced Cusack in 1964. In 1969, Moran and Durrie were replaced by Revs. Frank G. Morfeld and William J. Sulzman. St. Peter remained, but in residence as the third priest. School had 440 pupils in 1959-60.

1966

Archbishop was James V. Casey (1967-86).

 1972 Archdiocesan Schools Denver CO Assistant superintendent. Superintendent was Msgr. William H. Jones. St. Peter's office was located at 938 Bannock St. in Denver, which housed The National Register newspaper. In 1970 St. Peter was named Central Area Director of the Catholic Education Office, still under Jones. St. Peter's office was at 1361 Detroit St. in Denver. St. Peter was replaced as Central Area Director in 1972 by a nun, Sr. Mary Elise, C.PP.S.
1970 1972 Mother of God Denver CO 2/2, 2/3, in residence. Other priest was Rt. Rev. Walter Canavan. In 1971, Rev. Robert M. Harrington arrived, also in residence. Harrington was the archdiocesan vocation director. No school.
1972 1982 Holy Family Denver CO 1/3, 1/2, 1/3, pastor. Other priests were Revs. Thomas Dona and Roger W. Mollison (in residence). In 1974, Rev. Philip S. Meredith replaced Dona. In 1975, Rev. Edward Poehlmann, Western area Director for the schools, replaced Mollison in residence. In 1976, Meredith and Poehlmann were replaced by Revs. Martin J. Schuck and John F. Wind (in residence). Schuck was a Brooklyn priest who had been on sick leave, and Wind was chaplain of the Holy Family high school. Schuck left in 1977 and returned to parish work in Brooklyn. In 1978, Rev. Bert Chilson arrived as #2 priest. In 1980, Rev. Robert J. Reycraft replaced Chilson and Wind is on staff, instead of in residence. In 1972-73 elementary school had 349 pupils and the high school had 487. In the 1977 Directory, the high school began to be listed separate from the parish in an Inter-Parochial High Schools section.
1978 1980 East Denver Deanery Denver CO Dean  
1982 1985 Immaculate Heart of Mary Northglenn CO 2/3. Pastor was Rev. William E. Breslin. Other priest was Rev. George W. Kearney. No school. In the 1983 Directory, first indexed as Peter, Lawrence H. St. Previously he had been indexed under St. Peter.

1982

Archbishop was J. Francis Stafford (1986-96).

 1988

Vicar for Priests

In 1987 Directory, and Liaison for the Seminary was added to title; changed to for St. Thomas Seminary in 1988 Directory.

 Denver CO   Called Very Rev. in this listing, but Rev. in parish listing until 1986 Directory.
1985 1989 Mother of God Denver CO 1/2. Listed in the parish as Very Rev. Other priest was Rev. Robert Freudenstein. In 1986, Rev. David Sobieszczyk replaced Freudenstein. No school.
1986 1988 Presbyteral Council Denver CO Member. Stafford was the president. Members are first listed in the 1987 Directory. Possibly St. Peter was a member before 1986.  
1986 1993 Building Commission Denver CO    
1988   Named Monsignor        
1989 1993 Church of the Risen Christ Denver CO 1/3, 1/2, pastor. Other priests were Revs. John W. Krenzke and Harold E. Weidman SJ. Weidman left in 1990. Deacon Richard Bowles arrived in 1991. No school.
1989 1993 Southeast Denver Deanery Denver CO Dean  

1993

Archbishop was Charles J. Chaput (1997-present).

 2002 Absent on Leave       So listed in the 1994-2002 Directory.
2002 8/18/03 Status unknown       Not indexed or listed in the 2003 Directory.
8/18/03   Died       Death reported in the Denver necrology section of the 2004 Directory, without an account of St. Peter's status or location. General necrology in the back of the 2004 Directory did not list him.


Source: Official Catholic Directory (New York: Kenedy & Sons, 1960-2004). See also Church Settles 18 Suits, by Electa Draper, Denver Post (7/2/08); Archdiocese to Pay $5.5 Million to Erase 'Stain', by Berny Morson and Jean Torkelson, Rocky Mountain News (7/2/08); Denver Archdiocese to Pay $5.5 Million in Abuse Suit, by Dan Frosch, New York Times (7/2/08).

Priests in a Parish: We use the following convention to show a priest's place among the clergy of a parish: 1/2 means that he is the first priest listed in the Official Catholic Directory (usually the pastor) and that there is a total of two priests at the parish. The shorthand 3/4 means that the priest is listed third on a four-priest roster. See our sample page from the Directory.

Note: The Official Catholic Directory aims to report the whereabouts of Catholic priests in the United States on January 1 of the Directory's publication year. Our working assumption is that a priest listed in the Directory for a given year was at the same assignment for part of the previous year as well. However, Kenedy and Sons will sometimes accept updates well into the year of publication. Diocesan clergy records are rarely available to correct this information. The Directory is also sometimes misleading or wrong. We have tried to create an accurate assignment record, given the source materials and their limitations. Assignment records are a work in progress and we are always improving the records that we post. Please email us with new information and corrections.

This assignment record collates St. Peter's career history as it is represented in the Official Catholic Directory with the allegation as it is reported in the media. We make no representation regarding the truth of the allegation we report. We remind our readers that in the U.S. judicial system, a person is considered innocent until proven guilty.

A Note on Nomenclature: We use the term "assignment record," instead of the more common "service record," because "service" is not an appropriate word for the activities of an abusive priest. Dioceses are often less than forthcoming about the activities of retired priests, but when we can determine those activities, we list them in these assignment records, particularly if they involve ministry. Retired priests remain under obedience to their bishop, and even the activities of laicized priests should be a concern to the diocese.

This assignment record was last updated on July 2, 2008.