Father Des

The Rev. Des Crotty, local Irish priest

Saturday, February 09, 2008
By Bruce Nolan
Staff writer

The Rev. Des Crotty, a Catholic priest who led a revival of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church, died Thursday night at Ochsner Medical Center, the Archdiocese of New Orleans said. He was 61.

Father Crotty collapsed on the altar during noon Mass at his church on Ash Wednesday. Doctors later determined that he suffered a rupture of an artery involved in the surgical repair of his heart some years ago, the archdiocese said.

In 36 years as a priest Crotty, a native of Ireland, served parishes in Jefferson, Kenner, Norco, the east bank of New Orleans and Algiers. He was also the chaplain at Dominican High School and was an Air Force chaplain.

For the past 12 years he served as pastor of St. Francis of Assisi, a relatively small parish in Uptown New Orleans.

When he arrived in 1996 the parish was in decline, its population aging. Friends said Father Crotty embarked on a revitalization plan to make the parish more hospitable and family-friendly. As young families arrived, he launched a children's Mass in which dozens of children sat close to the foot of the altar. In recent years the parish sponsored a huge annual Easter egg hunt on church grounds that grew to involve thousands of hidden eggs.

Later, Father Crotty oversaw a $1.4 million renovation of the 87-year-old church.

Friends said that Father Crotty, while gregarious and approachable, had a strong personality that attracted some, and not others. Friends in the Ancient Order of Hibernians made him the Irish Man of the Year in 2004.

In a 2004 interview, Father Crotty told columnist Angus Lind he used to lurk in the back of church as a boy, just to say he had been to church. As a prank, he once listed all his friends on a church questionnaire asking for names of potential vocations -- and left off his.

He said his decision to try the seminary floored his parents.

"He did have an independent streak," said Bishop Roger Morin. "If you disagreed with something after he'd made up his mind, it would take a lot of negotiating to turn him around. But he was certainly devoted to St. Francis."

An old friend, the Rev. John Tomasovich, said while Father Crotty had diversions away from work, he seemed to enjoy parish life the most.

Father Crotty's approach to golf was typical, Tomasovich said.

He played occasionally, "but it seemed to frustrate him that he couldn't master the game in three hours."

A native of Glasthule, Ireland, Father Crotty began seminary studies in nearby Carlow, but was recruited for service in New Orleans by then-Archbishop Philip Hannan.

He finished seminary studies in New Orleans at Notre Dame Seminary; he and Hannan returned to Ireland for his ordination in 1972.

Father Crotty is survived by a brother, Marty, and sisters Mary Sherwin and Eithne Deasy.

Visitation will be Monday from 8:30 to 10 a.m. at his church, 631 State St., followed by a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Alfred Hughes. Interment will follow in the tomb for priests of the archdiocese in St. Louis No. 3 Cemetery.

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Bruce Nolan can be reached at bnolan@timespicayune.com or (504) 826-3344.

The Rev. Des Crotty