Monsignor Garvey

Msgr. Francis John Garvey passed away Thursday morning, October 23, at Rice Memorial Hospital in Willmar.
Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, October 27, at the Church of St. Philip in Litchfield with a Knights of Columbus Rosary Service at 10:00 a.m. Interment will be at the Church of St. Patrick Catholic Cemetery in Kandiyohi. Visitation will be from 3-7 p.m. on Sunday, October 26 at the Church of Our Lady in Manannah. Vigil prayers for the Deceased with Reception at the church to take place at 3 p.m. and Parish Prayers at 7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials to the Diocese of New Ulm Priest Pension Fund or Church of Our Lady in Manannah are preferred. Arrangements are with Peterson Brothers Funeral Home in Willmar. www.petersonbrothers.com
Msgr. Francis John Garvey was born on March 2, 1933, on the family farm near Eden Valley in Manannah Township, Meeker County, Minnesota, the son of Dennis and Susan (Schmit) Garvey. He grew up in the Eden Valley community, graduated from Eden Valley High School in 1950, Nazareth Hall College in 1953 and the St. Paul Seminary in 1959. Msgr. Garvey was ordained at the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New Ulm on February 22, 1959, by Bishop A. Schladweiler for the Diocese of New Ulm. He served as Associate Pastor of the Church of St. Anastasia in Hutchinson, St. Adalbert in Silver Lake and the Cathedral of the Holy Trinity in New Ulm. Msgr. Garvey served as Pastor of the Church of St. Patrick in Kandiyohi, St. Thomas More in Lake Lillian, St. Anthony in Watkins and Our Lady in Manannah. He served as Chaplain at the Willmar Regional Treatment Center for 40 years, and was an accredited supervisor of Clinical Pastoral Education (CPE) for 32 years.
In addition to parish ministry, Msgr. Garvey served as Director of Priest Personnel, was a member of the Priests' Council, College of Consultors, Committee on Parishes, Diocesan Pastoral Council and Diocesan Vocations Team. He planned and hosted many diocesan seminars and gatherings for priests. He received the title of Monsignor in 2005, and was the recipient of special awards given by the Diocese of New Ulm, USCC, State of Minnesota, Knights of Columbus and various community organizations.
Msgr. Garvey was the founder of St. Francis Half-way House in Atwater in 1964. He oversaw the building of the rectory in Kandiyohi in 1967 and the chapel at the WRTC in 1968. He facilitated the new construction of St. Patrick's Catholic Church in 1983 in Kandiyohi and the remodeling project of the Church of Our Lady in Manannah from 1998-2000. Msgr. Garvey retired from active ministry on July 1, 2013 and had been living in Manannah since retirement. His hobbies included farming, gardening and providing spiritual care to all of his church family.
He is survived by one sister, Anna Marie (and Earl) Howard of Minneapolis; several nieces and nephews and good friend, Sister Judith Orland, OSB of Duluth, besides many other relatives and friends.
He was preceded in death by his parents; two sisters, Helen Garvey and Kathleen Wuertz; and three brothers, Joseph, Dennis Jr. and Michael Garvey.

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