Msgr. Lawrence M. Connaughton

Msgr. Lawrence M. Connaughton, who served the archdiocese in a variety of important pastoral and administrative assignments, died Sept. 29 at Calvary Hospital in the Bronx after battling pancreatic cancer. He was 70.

Cardinal Dolan was the principal celebrant of a Funeral Mass Oct. 2 at St. Joseph’s Church in the Yorkville section of Manhattan, where Msgr. Connaughton had previously served as pastor for a dozen years.

Father John P. Connaughton, a nephew who is a parochial vicar at St. Thomas More parish in Darien, Conn., was the homilist. The recently ordained priest said having the opportunity to see his uncle as others saw him, as a priest and as a colleague, was a “great grace” in a time of profound sadness for his family.

“We always knew he was a good preacher. We knew he did the things he was asked to do well. But seeing just how much (parishioners) loved him and hearing the stories of how his ministry had impacted their lives, and also the admiration that his brother priests seemed to have for him, kind of opened our eyes to a deeper dimension of who he was,” said Father Connaughton, who credited “Uncle Larry” with helping him in his own vocation journey.

“I think as a brother priest our relationship changed. It wasn’t just uncle, nephew,” he explained. “There was a fraternal aspect of our relationship that I only got to enjoy for about a year and some months. But it was really a beautiful gift to be able to share that together. He was the one that vested me at my ordination last year and he preached my first Mass. And so to be able to preach the homily at his funeral was also a great gift. I know he’s an excellent preacher and I do believe that he helped me through the process of trying to come up with something to say.”

At the time of his death, Msgr. Connaughton was pastor of St. John Nepomucene parish and administrator of St. John the Martyr, both in Manhattan. He served as pastor at Our Lady of the Scapular/St. Stephen and administrator of Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Chapel, both in Manhattan, 2007-2012. He was pastor of St. Joseph’s, Yorkville, 1995-2007.

He was executive director of the archdiocesan Development Office, 1990-1995. He was vice chancellor for priest personnel, 1988-1990, and procurator of St. Joseph’s Seminary, Dunwoodie, 1983-1988. He earlier served as a parochial vicar at Corpus Christi, Manhattan; St. Frances of Rome, the Bronx; and Sacred Heart, Suffern.

Msgr. Michael C. Crimmins, who was in the same class as Msgr. Connaughton at St. Joseph’s Seminary and is now pastor of St. Gregory the Great parish in Manhattan, described his friend as “gentle.”

“He was very approachable, very kindly,” Msgr. Crimmins said. “Just a very agreeable, good man. As a priest he made it easier to have faith. He was able to in a sense make Christ present.”

Born on Staten Island, Msgr. Connaughton attended Sacred Heart Elementary School and St. Peter’s Boys High School there and studied for the priesthood at Cathedral College, Manhattan, before entering St. Joseph’s Seminary. He was ordained by Cardinal Cooke in 1970 and named a monsignor in 1990.

A brother, John, and a sister, Kathleen Cleary, survive him as well as nine nieces and nephews and 11 great-nieces and great-nephews.

Burial was at St. Peter’s Cemetery, Staten Island.