Monsignor Frank Morfeld, a priest in the Denver Catholic Archdiocese for half a century, died Friday at St. Joseph Hospital after a long illness. He was 84.
A rosary will be said at 7 p.m. Thursday at St. Francis De Sales Catholic Church, 301 S. Sherman St., where he was pastor, and the funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Friday at the Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, East Colfax Avenue and Logan Street.
“He was a dedicated priest who didn’t want to retire,” said longtime friend Gene Steinke, a parishioner.
For the past five years, ill health forced Morfeld to use a wheelchair to go from the rectory where he lived to the parish, and he made the trip daily for the early-morning Mass.
He “was a very courageous person,” Steinke said. Morfeld managed to stand for the consecration portion of the Mass and insisted on walking down the aisle to the altar and back out again.
“He was a very gentle person,” said the Rev. John Canjar, retired priest.
Because he stood 6 feet 5 inches, Morfeld was called “moose” by his priest friends. There was a sign at the entry of the rectory announcing “Mooseum,” and there were an estimated 100 moose-related items, said Sister Rita Moriarty at the parish. There were T-shirts, nightshirts, stuffed animals, pajamas, a mug, Christmas ornaments, decorative plates and even candy with a moose picture.
Morfeld lived a simple life and drove “this horrible-looking 1964 Chrysler Newport that was kind of peachy pink and had dents all over it,” said Steinke, laughing.
“He had three vices: cigarettes, scotch and Black Hawk,” Steinke said.
“People loved him,” Moriarty said. “He was really a good listener.”
He was also forgiving. St. Francis had 10 incidents of vandalism, including a fire and a mugging, in the late 1990s.
Morfeld acknowledged the pain in the congregation, but, according to a Denver Post story, told his flock, “It is our mandate to forgive” and asked parishioners to pray for the perpetrators.
Frank George Morfeld was born in Denver on Oct. 3, 1926, and graduated from Regis High School and St. Thomas Seminary, now St. John Vianney Seminary at the same site.
Morfeld served several parishes, beginning and ending at the same one, St. Francis.
He was pastor at Cure d’Ars, St. John and Philomena, Holy Name and Good Shepherd churches; was chaplain at St. Joseph Hospital; was administrator at Christ the King Church; and was on several committees of the priests’ council.
He is survived by his sister, Rosemary Sunderland of Denver, and a niece and nephew.
Inside
Virginia Culver: 303-954-1223 or vculver@denverpost.com
