Fr. Denis Murphy (1860-1943)

Father Denis Murphy passed away October 30, 1943.

Father Denis was born in New York City and took his early education there.  In 1875 he began studies at St. Benedict’s College, entered the monastery, and made simple profession in September 1881.  He was ordained by Bishop Louis Mary Fink in 1889.  He was assigned to the missions at Hiawatha, Kan., and Perrin, Mo.  He was a member of St. Malachy’s Priory, Creston, Iowa, and from there ministered to mission stations in that state.  He also served as pastor at Lenox, Iowa.  With the closing of St. Malachy’s Priory, he returned to prefect at the college as he had done as a cleric.  He was sent back to Iowa and was pastor at Creston until 1916.  Returning to Kansas, once again, he ministered at Troy and Fanning.

In 1924 Father Denis was chaplain at the boy’s orphanage in St. Joseph, Mo., but because of illness he had to return to the abbey in 1932.  He also worked at Maur Hill during this time while receiving periodic medical attention at the local hospital.  After a stint at being hospital chaplain in Fort Scott, Kan., and Topeka, Kan., and beset with diabetes, he returned to the abbey in 1936 where he remained until a final series of strokes.