Fr. Claude Lenehan, OFM, 97, passes away in Beacon, New York

Fr. Claude Lenehan, OFM, 97, passed away on July 5 at St. Lawrence Friary in Beacon, New York. During his nearly 75 years as a Franciscan friar, Fr. Claude served at parishes on the East Coast and traveled extensively throughout the United States preaching and giving retreats as part of the legacy Holy Name Province’s Ministry of the Word. 

Visitation will be held on Thursday, July 10, 2025, at 10 a.m. at St. Anthony Church, 63 Bartholdi Avenue, Butler, NJ 07405, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m.  

Fr. Claude was born to Daniel and Rosamund (née Prall) on March 23, 1928, in Wallington, New Jersey. He attended grammar school in Passaic, New Jersey, and St. Mary’s High School in Rutherford, New Jersey.  

He was received into the Order of Friars Minor on Aug. 12, 1949, in Paterson, New Jersey, and made his first profession there on Aug. 14, 1950. He received a bachelor’s degree in philosophy from St. Bonaventure’s College (now University) in Allegany, New York, in 1952, and professed solemn vows at Mount St. Sepulchre Church at the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Land in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 17, 1953. He was ordained to the priesthood there on June 9, 1955, and graduated from the Washington Theological Union with his Master of Divinity in 1956. 

Fr. Claude began his friar ministry as parochial vicar at St. Francis Parish in New York City from 1956 to 1958, and St. Mary’s Parish in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey, from 1958 to 1964. He served as pastor of St. Elizabeth’s Parish in Wyckoff, New Jersey, for three years, before going to Boston for one year to update his theological education following the Second Vatican Council. He returned to Holy Name College in Washington, D.C., to work in justice and peace from 1974 to 1982. He was part of the team ministry at St. Francis Inn in Philadelphia from 1982 to 1987. 

In 1987, he began traveling to preach and give retreats throughout the United States as part of the legacy Holy Name Province’s Ministry of the Word. He was based for one year in Rochelle Park, New Jersey, before moving to St. Anthony Shrine in Boston as an associate from 1988 to 1994.  

The rest of his ministerial work was spent traveling, preaching and giving retreats as part of the Ministry of the Word. He was based in East Rutherford, New Jersey (1994 to 1995); Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey (1995 to 1996); Paterson (1996 to 2001); Ho-Ho-Kus and Belleair Bluffs, Florida (2001 to 2006); the Bronx, New York (2006 to 2008); and Butler (2008 to 2012), where he retired from full-time ministry but continued to work in the Retrouvaille marriage retreat program and assist local parishes.  

In 2022, he moved to St. Catherine of Siena Nursing Home in Caldwell, New Jersey, and then St. Lawrence Friary later that year. 

In the Summer 2020 issue of The Marian, Fr. Claude reflected on his life and ministry, saying “The time has just flown by and as I look back, I can only see all those wonderful people who have come into my life through my ministry. Most of my ministerial life has been spent giving retreats around the country, meeting those individuals who have been seeking to grow in their relationship with the Lord. I have been privileged to be an instrument of His peace, bringing consolation and comfort to souls that have struggled in their lives and finally have responded to His grace, His call. I have also been involved in parish ministry, social action work and urban ministry at our downtown churches. 

“All these experiences have helped me to realize that the Lord works in strange ways with people, including myself. Why, I have no idea, but I am grateful to the Lord for calling me to be a Franciscan friar.” 

Fr. Claude is survived by his brother friars of the Province of Our Lady of Guadalupe.