Father Frederick Denison served in New Albany, Tell City Deanery parishes

By Sean Gallagher

Father Frederick Denison, a retired archdiocesan priest, died on May 18 at Baptist Health in Louisville, Ky. He was 76.

At Father Denison’s request, a graveside committal service for him took place on May 24 at St. Joseph Hill Cemetery in Sellersburg. Father Jeremy Gries, pastor of Holy Family Parish in New Albany, presided over the service.

For much of his priestly life and ministry, Father Denison served in the New Albany Deanery and in the Tell City Deanery faith community of St. Joseph Parish in Crawford County.

Lisa Shaftlein, a member of St. Joseph, appreciated Father Denison’s dedication to the parish, which he led for 17 years and served as its sacramental minister for another 14 years.

“He loved the parish,” she said. “He was very dedicated to the priesthood. Even when he was physically ill, he continued to minister to the parish.”

Imogene Talley, another St. Joseph parishioner, considered Father Denison a friend.

When he was struggling with his health, she recalled telling him, “Father, you need to rest. You’re wearing yourself out.”

“But he just loved the people,” continued Talley, explaining Father Denison’s dedication to St. Joseph.

“He really wanted to draw everyone together,” she said. “He wanted to have it like a big family. That’s what his goal was.”

Frederick Joseph Denison was born on Sept. 25, 1947, to the late John and Anna (Kraemer) Dennison in New Albany, where he grew up as a member of St. Mary Parish.

After graduating from the former St. Mary School in 1961, Father Dennison became an archdiocesan seminarian and received priestly formation at Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in St. Meinrad for the next 12 years.

Archbishop George J. Biskup ordained Father Denison a priest on May 19, 1973, at St. Mary Church in New Albany.

His first pastoral assignment was as associate pastor of Holy Spirit Parish in Indianapolis, where he served for one year.

From 1974-80, Father Denison ministered as associate pastor of Christ the King Parish in Indianapolis. He then served as associate of pastor of St. Luke the Evangelist Parish in Indianapolis for two years.

In 1982, Father Denison was appointed pastor of St. Bernard Parish in Frenchtown, where he served for the next 24 years.

During that period, he also served as administrator of St. Michael Parish in Bradford from 1983-84 and as administrator of St. Joseph in Crawford County from 1989-2006.

Father Denison then ministered as pastor of St. John the Baptist Parish in Starlight from 2006 until he was granted permission to retire early from active ministry in 2010.

He continued in retirement as sacramental minister at the former St. Peter Parish in Harrison County and at St. Joseph, where he continued to minister as his health allowed until earlier this year.

Father Denison is survived by his brother Mike Denison of Saint Johns, Fla. †