Msgr. Lawrence McNeilAt ease in the quiet of the Priests’ Retirement Residence in Harrisburg on a recent spring afternoon, Msgr. Lawrence McNeil offered a glimpse into his priesthood, one that he’s given additional reflection to since being named a Chaplain to His Holiness with the title of Monsignor.
With it came a good measure of joy and laughter – much like his initial reaction when Bishop Timothy Senior told him of his new title, given in February.
“When the bishop invited me to sit down and told me I was made a Monsignor, I just sat there and looked at him and I started to laugh hysterically,” he said. “It was completely unexpected, a complete surprise and joy,” Msgr. McNeil said.
From the Italian monsignore, which means “my lord,” the title is one of honor in the Catholic Church and is bestowed upon priests who have served in an exemplary way. Six priests in the Diocese were given this title in February; in addition to Msgr. McNeil, they are: Msgr. Peter Hahn, Msgr. Francis Karwacki, Msgr. Edward Lavelle, Msgr. Edward Quinlan, and the late Msgr. Daniel Mitzel, who entered into eternal rest on March 30.
“One of the gifts, for me, of getting this title at 77 years old is that it offers a whole different approach to ministry, how I look at things, how I reflect on things,” Msgr. McNeil said. “If I would have been named a Monsignor at 55, I would have had an entirely different set of thoughts on it than I do now at my age. Now, I have a whole new set of weaknesses and vulnerabilities, and these are my challenges from God at this time, and they’re a hope-filled challenge with prayer and reflection.”
A priest of the Diocese for 52 years, Msgr. McNeil spoke lovingly about his parish assignments and the people he has served, especially as pastor of St. Peter Parish in Elizabethtown in the late 80s and the Historic Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Conewago from 2000-2013. He was also Campus Minister at Bloomsburg University and Dickinson College; taught for a time at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Md.; and was the Diocesan Director of Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs in the 90s. Until moving to the Retirement Residence last summer, he had spent more than 10 years in residence at St. Joseph Parish in Hanover.
“In every ministry and every location, I never considered whether I was good enough for it or if I was capable of doing it. I just went where I was assigned, with trust in the Lord,” he said.
“I can honestly say I came out of every assignment happy that God had blessed me with the people who were there. Each one was unique, but with each one, I was sad to leave. They challenged me, they accepted me,” he continued. “What’s important in ministry as a priest is that people know that you love them. They deal with all kinds of things, and if they know you’re there for them, that’s first and foremost.”
A native of the Diocese of Rockville Center, Msgr. McNeil grew up on Long Island and entered the seminary for his home diocese after eighth grade – a common occurrence for boys considering the priesthood in those days.
“I tell people that even before Abraham came to be, I was in the seminary,” said Father McNeil, who came to the Diocese of Harrisburg at age 17 when his family relocated here. He studied at St. Charles Seminary in Catonsville, Md., and at St. Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, Pa., and was ordained in 1973.
Thinking back on the priests who were influential in his own ministry, Msgr. McNeil immediately pointed to Msgr. Vincent Topper, the Diocese’s oldest and longest-serving priest, who died in 2016 at the age of 104.
“With him, I quickly discovered the fact that it’s possible to be welcomed into the heart of the parish by the pastor you’re serving,” he said. “He made me feel welcome and that the priesthood would be something I’d enjoy, even though I was new and young and wasn’t perfectly attuned to it yet.”
“The only thing he ever introduced me to that I did not like and would not get used to? Rhubarb,” Msgr. McNeil laughed. “He ate it not as part of a dessert, but rather served straight-up in the morning for breakfast. I was a silly young man from Long Island, thinking it was cut-up strawberries. Not so! They were bitter and tart, but they were his favorite.”
Over the years, Msgr. McNeil has become for the next generation of priests what Msgr. Topper was to him – a model for the priesthood and a Father in the truest sense of the word, as a spiritual director for a number of young priests and a former instructor at Mount St. Mary’s.
“I got to meet and work with seminarians and priests from all over the United States at the Mount. I treasured those relationships. I found that they were gentle, kind and loving, and to me that’s important for the priesthood,” he reflected.
“My message for our new priests is that God loves them unconditionally. What’s important is that they accept that love and let it become part of them. If a priest can do that, then they are truly being the heart of Jesus in the Church,” he added.
On Sunday, May 18, Solemn Vespers to celebrate the Diocese’s six new Monsignori will take place at St. Patrick Cathedral in Harrisburg at 4 p.m. Father McNeil said he is looking forward to reconnecting with parishioners, something that gives him much joy these days in his retirement from active ministry.
“I live in a world of eight people at the Retirement Residence, with priests who are a joy to be around and to celebrate with, but it’s not parish life, and I miss that dearly,” he said. “It takes some getting used to. Most of the experiences I’ve had – whether in the office, at school, in campus ministry – I was dealing with parishioners and people. They’re not here now, and I miss the parishioners. I’ve absolutely treasured being a pastor and priest to them.”
(Solemn Vespers to mark the occasion of the six priests who have been named a Chaplain to His Holiness will be held at St. Patrick Cathedral in Harrisburg on Sunday, May 18 at 4 p.m. The public is invited to attend.)
By Jen Reed, The Catholic Witness
