Detroit — Fr. Edward F. Konopka always told people God would never abandon them, and he, in turn, never abandoned them either.

So when Fr. Konopka was preparing to retire as pastor of St. Alan Parish in Troy, his parishioners hatched a plan.

“He was thinking about retiring, but we loved him so much that eight of the men in the parish, including my husband, said ‘We will help you. We’ll give you a day off and we’ll help you,’” said Roberta Ringwood, a parishioner of Christ Our Light Parish in Troy, which formed in 2013 as a merger of St. Alan and nearby St. Columban Parish.

The all-senior-citizen group called themselves the “Over the Hill Altar Boys” — the OTHABs, for short — and dedicated themselves to making sure Fr. Konopka never felt abandoned, either.

“Each guy would take a week and help him on the altar, and he really appreciated that,” Ringwood said. “And because of them he stayed on a little longer.”

Fr. Konopka, who served for many years in parishes across Metro Detroit, died Feb. 27. At the age of 96, he was the second-oldest ordained priest of the Archdiocese of Detroit.

Fr. Konopka’s cheerful demeanor and humorous side made for a welcoming spirit at the parishes where he served, Ringwood said.

“We knew him well, and we really loved him as did many people in our parish. We figured he was very spiritual, but on the other hand he was very down-to-earth and ‘with the people,’” Ringwood said.

When Fr. Konopka urged that the worship space at St. Alan be redesigned to encourage greater participation in the liturgy, he encountered some resistance, but “he was always able to bring people together,” Ringwood said.

“If there was somebody who said ‘Oh, I don’t like that,’ you could talk to Fr. Konopka and he would show you the good points and get people to say ‘Yes, Father’s right. He knows best,’” Ringwood said.

Fr. Konopka loved to play golf and would often be found practicing his swings in the yard at the rectory, Ringwood said, and people would often stop to talk.

“He was so good about inviting people into the rectory,” Ringwood said. “A lot of priests don’t do that, that’s kind of their private space. Sometimes he would have his cook fix something special for us, but he was just very close to the people. I don’t think he knew a stranger. Everybody loved him.”

Edward Francis Konopka was born in Detroit and attended Sacred Heart Seminary, Detroit, and SS. Cyril and Methodius Seminary, Orchard Lake. He was ordained Oct. 27, 1945, and celebrated his first Mass at St. Cunegunda Church, Detroit.

Fr. Konopka was associate pastor at SS. Peter and Paul (West Side) Parish (1945-51) and Holy Name of Jesus Parish (1951-56), both in Detroit; and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Parish, Wyandotte (1956-59). He was appointed chaplain to Mount Carmel Hospital, Detroit, from 1959-60.

Fr. Konopka was founding pastor of St. Colman Parish in Farmington, where he served from 1960-66, and later served as pastor of St. Michael Parish, Pontiac (1966-71); St. Isidore Parish, Macomb Township (1971-74); Our Lady Queen of Heaven Parish, Detroit (1974-1982); and St. Alan Parish, Troy (1982-94).

He was vicar of the North Oakland-Pontiac Vicariate (1967-68) and coordinator for the building of Pontiac Catholic High School in 1968.

Fr. Konopka was granted senior priest status in June 1994, but was called back several times to serve as temporary administrator of Immaculate Conception Parish, Lapeer (1993-97), and St. Genevieve Parish, Livonia (1997).

A funeral Mass for Fr. Konopka was scheduled for March 3 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Coral Springs, Fla. Burial was to be in Our Lady Queen of Heaven Cemetery in North Lauderdale, Fla.

—Mike Stechschulte