Fr. Graven of Ypsilanti Receives Monsignor Title

Fr. Graven Of Ypsilanti Receives Monsignor Title

YPSILANTI—The title of monsignor has been given to the Rev. Lawrence F. Graven, pastor of St. John’s Catholic Church here.

He is among 14 priests in the archdiocese of Detroit who were raised to the rank of monsignor. Ten of the priests, including Fr. Graven, were given the office of domestic prelate with the designation of right reverend monsignor.

Fr. Graven and two other domestic prelates are con-suitors of the archdiocese, an advisory board to the Most Rev. John F-. Dearden, Arch-bishop of Detroit.

The office of domestic prelate is an honorary distinction which makes priests an official member of the papal family. Recipients have certain “ornamental” privileges as to dress and practice. Their garb approximates that of a bishop outside his diocese and they ar3 privileged to use the bugia (bishop’s candle) while offering mass.

Fr. Graven, a native of Scotland, was named pastor of St. John’s, last September. He succeeded the Rev. William P. Mooney, jr., who died Sept. 3, 1961.

A graduate of Sacred Heart Seminary, Detroit and St. Mary’s Seminary, Baltimore, Fr. Graven was ordained a priest on May 31, 1931, in Detroit.

From 1931 to 1946 he served assistant pastorates at Visitation, St. Patrick’s and St. Aloysius parishes, Detroit. He was named pastor of St. Williams’ parish, Walled Lake, in 1946 and pastor of St. Norbert’s parish, Inkster, in 1954. He served at the Inkster church until coming to Ypsilanti.

The Rev. Lawrence F. Graven