Msgr. Richard Kavanagh was longest serving priest in archdiocese

Msgr. Richard Kavanagh, center, prays a eucharistic prayer during a June 2, 2006, Mass at St. Paul Hermitage in Beech Grove on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of his priestly ordination. Concelebrating with him were, from left, Father Henry Brown and Father John Sciarra, both retired priests in residence at the Hermitage. Msgr. Kavanagh died on Jan. 20. Father Brown died in 2009, and Father Sciarra died in 2007. (File photo by Sean Gallagher)

By Sean Gallagher

Retired Msgr. Richard T. Kavanagh died on Jan. 20 at St. Paul Hermitage in Beech Grove. He was 98.

Msgr. Kavanagh, who died of natural causes, had lived at the Hermitage since 1998.

His Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on Jan. 27 at St. Michael the Archangel Church in Indianapolis. Burial followed at the Priests’ Circle at Calvary Cemetery in Indianapolis.

At 73 years, he was the longest serving priest in the history of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis.

Msgr. Mark Svarczkopf, pastor of Our Lady of the Greenwood Parish in Greenwood, was the homilist at Msgr. Kavanagh’s funeral Mass.

A teenage member of St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Indianapolis when Msgr. Kavanagh was the pastor there, Msgr. Svarczkopf said in an interview with The Criterion that his pastor was instrumental in shaping his vocation to the priesthood.

“He was a really good pastor, a real gentleman, very inspiring,” Msgr. Svarczkopf said. “I try to be like him, but I don’t think I’m making it.”

In addition to being administrator and pastor of St. Michael Parish for more than 30 years, Msgr. Kavanagh oversaw projects that did much to shape significant institutions that make up the Archdiocese of Indianapolis today.

According to Msgr. Svarczkopf, he was active in the founding of the archdiocesan Catholic Youth Organization in the 1940s and its Camp Rancho Framasa in Brown County. In the years after World War II, he helped oversee the construction of the four interparochial high schools in Indianapolis.

Three of those high schools—Cardinal Ritter Jr./Sr. High School, Father Thomas Scecina Memorial High School and Bishop Chatrand High School (now Roncalli High School)—were named after men who were close to Msgr. Kavanagh. He served Mass for and became a seminarian under Bishop Joseph Chartrand. Cardinal Joseph E. Ritter ordained him to the priesthood. And he was a close friend of Father Scecina, who was a military chaplain during World War II and died in the line of duty.

Msgr. Kavanagh also established the archdiocesan Office of Purchasing in 1965. And in the early 1980s, as a retired priest, he guided the renovation of the former home of Cathedral High School into the Archbishop O’Meara Catholic Center in downtown Indianapolis.

Finally, in the late 1990s, he helped establish the relationship between the archdiocese and the Hermitage that made it easy for retired priests to live there.

When asked in a 2006 interview with The Criterion about what was most fulfilling for him in his 70 years as a priest, Msgr. Kavanagh focused on his ministry at St. Michael Parish.

“I was able to help people spiritually, administer the sacraments and all those things,” he said. “And I enjoyed the work.”

Marilyn Bardon was deeply touched by Msgr. Kavanagh’s ministry during his many decades at St. Michael.

She joined the parish in 1964 as a 21-year-old and also taught at the parish school. Bardon retired from St. Michael School in 2007.

In 1970, her father died unexpectedly and she traveled to Oxford, Ohio, for his funeral. What she didn’t know at the time was that Msgr. Kavanagh and his associate pastor, Father Harold Ripperger, also made the trip.

“I did not know that he was coming,” Bardon said. “And it just kind of sat me back to see that. There was my pastor.”

Thirty-eight years later, Bardon’s husband died. And Msgr. Kavanagh, who was 96 at the time, came once again to show his concern for his former parishioner.

“I can remember looking up and seeing Msgr. Kavanagh coming into the church [for the wake], being pushed in a wheelchair,” said Bardon in appreciation of Msgr. Kavanagh.

Bardon said her former pastor’s presence during her times of grief was emblematic of his concern for each of his parishioners, no matter what big projects he was overseeing either in the parish or the archdiocese at the time.

“If there was a problem and you took it to Msgr. Kavanagh, he would listen and he never thought it was too small or too big of a problem,” Bardon said. “He would tackle it. I think that he made everybody feel that their needs were important and that our parish’s needs were important.”

Msgr. Kavanagh extended that concern to his brother priests, even those who were born decades after he was ordained.

In the mid-1980’s, Father Anthony Volz, now pastor of Christ the King Parish in Indianapolis, was appointed to the archdiocesan Council of Priests a year or two after his 1985 ordination.

He was a bit taken aback when attending one of its meetings for the first time.

“I walked into that room thinking, ‘What in the world am I doing here?’ ” Father Volz said. “And I sat down next to this old priest at the end of the table. I didn’t know who he was. It was Msgr. Kavanagh. And that man was the most gracious, the most welcoming priest. I think I sat there next to him at every meeting. I loved that man.”

Richard T. Kavanagh was born on Nov. 28, 1911, in Evansville, Ind., to Thomas and Delia (Fahey) Kavanagh.

He attended Mercy Convent and St. Joseph School in Galway, Ireland, and SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral School in Indianapolis before becoming a diocesan seminarian.

He received his priestly formation at Saint Meinrad Seminary in St. Meinrad.

Bishop Joseph E. Ritter ordained him to the priesthood on June 2, 1936, at the Abbey Church of Our Lady of Einsiedeln in St. Meinrad.

Following his ordination, he was assigned for two years of pastoral ministry in the then-Diocese of Denver.

From 1938-42, he was the associate pastor of St. Therese of the Infant Jesus (Little Flower) Parish in Indianapolis.

From 1940-50, he served in different capacities, including as the assistant superintendent of Cathedral High School in Indianapolis, and the assistant director of charities, where he oversaw the Catholic Youth Organization, United States Organization and Boy Scouts activities.

During this time, he served as the administrator of Mary Queen of Peace Parish in Danville, and as associate pastor of Holy Trinity and St. Mary parishes, both in Indianapolis.

On Nov. 8, 1951, he was named the administrator of St. Michael the Archangel Parish in Indianapolis. He became the pastor on Feb. 4, 1955, and would remain pastor until he retired in 1982.

During the 1960s, he also served as the dean of the Indianapolis North Deanery. In the 1970s, he was the dean of the Indianapolis West Deanery.

In 1965, he was named the first director of the archdiocesan purchasing department.

Pope Paul VI named him a domestic prelate in 1967.

Msgr. Kavanagh retired from active ministry in 1982.

Surviving are two nieces and a nephew.

Memorial gifts may be sent to St. Michael the Archangel Parish or Cathedral High School, both in Indianapolis, or St. Paul Hermitage in Beech Grove. †