Father Michael Kerrigan
A Colorado native, Father Michael Kerrigan served as pastor at parishes in the heart of Denver to the Rocky Mountains. He is celebrating his 50-year ordination anniversary in the priesthood.
Since 1966 Father Kerrigan, who was born in Leadville, has been assigned to guide the flock of faithful. He began ministering at Guardian Angels, St. Vincent de Paul and St. Mary in Littleton churches as assistant pastor.
He became pastor of St. Peter and St. Anne churches near Grand Lake until 1979 when he became pastor of Immaculate Conception Church in Lafayette. Father Kerrigan strived to grow his congregation in the 1980s to more than 500 families.
He went on to serve at St. Paul Parish in Idaho Springs.
Father Kerrigan earned a bachelor’s degree from Regis College and later a bachelor’s and master’s degree from St. Thomas Seminary (now St. John Vianney Theological Seminary).
Father John P. McGreevy, O.P.
Dominican Father John McGreevy recently entered the 50th year of his priestly ordination. He hails from Iowa where he was born and later studied for his master’s degree at the Dominican House of Theology (now the Aquinas Institute of Theology in St. Louis). He also received a degree from the Dominican House of Studies in River Forest, Ill., and graduated with a second master’s from Fordham University in New York.
Father McGreevy’s ministry began at Fenwick High School in Oak Park, Ill., where he taught and served as principal from 1965 to 1979.
He also taught at Providence College in Rhode Island from 1980 to 1995. He began parish ministry at St. Vincent Ferrer in River Forest as pastor and continued at St. Gertrude Church in St. Clair Shores, Mich.
Father McGreevy came to Denver in 2009 and lives at the St. Dominic Priory. He serves as a chaplain at Francis Heights.
“It’s hard to believe 50 years have gone by. They move very quickly,” he said. “It’s been a wonderful life.”
Father John Schlaf
After 41 years of parish ministry in Nebraska, Father John Schlaf came to Colorado to retire. This year is the 50th anniversary of his priestly ordination.
Father Schlaf attended Immaculate Conception Seminary in Missouri where he earned his master’s degree in religion in 1964. He was ordained shortly before the Second Vatican Council and witnessed the transformation in the Church.
“I was truly inspired by all of it,” he said. “I really enjoyed working in that spirit of Vatican II.”
His ministry began in Grand Island, Neb., and continued at parishes across the state for 41 years. During that time he also launched two new parishes in western Nebraska. His last parish was in Ogallala, Neb., before he became a chaplain for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Concordia in Kansas.
“I feel so blessed to have the experience of working with so many good Christian communities and good bishops,” he said. “I just have a feeling of a lot of gratitude.”
Father Schlaf came to Fort Collins three years ago to retire. He assists at St. Joseph Parish in Fort Collins.
Father John Waters, S.J.
Jesuit Father John Waters has served across the world. Now, as he marks his 50th ordination anniversary, he is residing at the Xavier Jesuit Center in Denver.
He was born in Denver and later went on to study at St. Louis University in Missouri and St. Mary’s College in Kansas before attending the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogota, Colombia.
He immediately went on mission to teach in El Progreso, Honduras. He then served as secretary in Rome for the Jesuit Curia from 1971 to 1975.
Father Waters also went on mission to Belize before his first assignment in Denver as pastor at St. Ignatius Loyola Church.
In the 1980s, he ministered in St. Louis before serving at parishes in Dodge City and Garden City, Kan.
He then became pastor at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Pueblo before returning to Denver.
