Detroit — Fr. Stewart “Tod” Laverty, OFM, a native of Kingston, Ontario, and pastor emeritus of St. Aloysius Parish and St. Patrick Parish in Detroit, died Sept. 21 at the age of 69, after a long battle with cancer.

Fr. Laverty is remembered fondly by those who knew him. Fr. Don Miller, OFM, vocations director for the Province of St. John the Baptist, was Fr. Laverty’s only ordination classmate and stayed in touch with him throughout his life.

“Tod was always very committed to ‘Franciscanism,’” said Fr. Miller, who met Fr. Laverty in August 1963 while attending Duns Scotus College. “He was first of all a Franciscan. He had become quite versed in Franciscan spirituality, and would brighten up every time he talked about it.”

Fr. Miller said Fr. Laverty was “a people person; he loved serving people on a personal level.”

“If I ever needed him, he was always there,” Fr. Miller recalled. “That’s the kind of brother he was.”



Fr. Loren Thomas Connell, OFM, who as parish administrator served St. Aloysius Parish with Fr. Laverty, said Fr. Laverty was “determined” despite his failing health.

“He determinedly held on as long as he could,” Fr. Connell said. “Near the end of August and early September, he asked to take a couple weekend Masses. It was the first time he had done that in maybe two months. He certainly didn’t need to do it.”

Fr. Mark Soehner, OFM, was pastor of St. Aloysius prior to Fr. Laverty. Both were also stationed in Detroit together for a period of time, though they had first met while studying at Loyola College of Maryland.

Fr. Soehner said cooking was one of Fr. Laverty’s interests.

“He enjoyed a very laid-back atmosphere whenever possible so that the focus could be on the guests. He loved Thanksgiving, though he was Canadian and never took American citizenship. That meal would go on for hours — he kept different things coming out of the kitchen.”

But one of the biggest passions of Fr. Laverty’s life, explained Fr. Soehner, was in healing people through his gift of counseling, which he had practiced for the last 30 years.

“Tod was one of those great men,” Fr. Soehner said. “He had a powerful gift with helping people enjoy the present moment.”

Stewart Laverty was born Feb. 11, 1944, in Kingston, Ontario, to Francis Joseph Laverty and Doreen Hicks Laverty.

He attended Duns Scotus College in Southfield, where he received a Bachelor of Arts in philosophy. He then attended St. Leonard College in Centerville, Ohio, where he received his Master of Divinity in theological studies, and later received an M.S. and Ph.D. in pastoral counseling from Loyola College of Maryland.

A Franciscan friar of the Province of St. John the Baptist, he made his first profession of vows in August 1966, his solemn profession in August 1969, and was ordained to the priesthood in June 1972 at Sacred Heart of Mary Church in Wolfe Island, Ontario.

He served parishes in Michigan, Indiana, Louisiana and Ohio; was a chaplain at the St. Leonard Center in Centerville and at Bishop Luers High School in Fort Wayne, Ind.; and led pilgrimages in Italy with the Franciscan Pilgrimage Program for 18 years.

Fr. Laverty’s health problems began around Thanksgiving 2011, when he was diagnosed with fatty liver disease. The following year he was diagnosed with liver cancer.

In October 2012 he received permission from his doctors to lead one more pilgrimage to Italy, but became critically ill while there. His condition stabilized by the end of the month, however, and he returned to Detroit to continue his service to St. Aloysius and St. Patrick churches.

He was visiting his brother, Patrick, and family in Kingston, Ontario, earlier in September when he fell ill and was hospitalized. He passed away while in a coma several days later.

Fr. Laverty is survived by his brother, Patrick Laverty of Kingston, Ontario.

Reception of the body and visitation will be 5-8 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 29, at St. Aloysius Church, 1234 Washington Blvd., Detroit. A funeral Mass will be held for Fr. Laverty at 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 30, at St. Patrick Church, 58 Parsons St., Detroit.

Condolences may be sent to the Franciscan Friars, 1615 Vine St., Cincinnati, Ohio, 45202. Memorial donations may be made to St. Aloysius Neighborhood Services, St. Dominic Outreach Center, or St. Patrick Food Pantry c/o St. Aloysius Neighborhood Services, 1234 Washington Blvd., Detroit, MI 48226.

--Elizabeth Wong