Father J. Lawrence Richardt helped form priests through many decades

By Sean Gallagher

Father J. Lawrence Richardt, a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis, died on July 7 at the Compassus hospice facility in Indianapolis. He was 87.

The Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated on July 11 at SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Indianapolis. Archbishop Charles C. Thompson was the principal celebrant of the liturgy. Retired Father Rick Ginther was the homilist. Burial followed in the priests’ garden at Our Lady of Peace Cemetery in Indianapolis.

In addition to serving in parishes across central and southern Indiana, Father Richardt, commonly known as Father Larry, ministered for decades in spiritual formation for future priests at Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in St. Meinrad and at Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary in Indianapolis, continuing as a spiritual director at the latter through the spring semester that ended this May.

“Father Larry had a tireless work ethic, especially when it came to spiritual direction, confession and guiding the internal life of others,” said Father Joseph Moriarty, pastor of St. Luke the Evangelist Parish in Indianapolis and a former rector of Bishop Bruté. “Even in retirement, he was not done serving God and wanted to spend his life for the sake of others.”

Seminarian Khaing Thu was honored to assist as an altar server at Father Richardt’s funeral after receiving spiritual direction from him during his four years at Bishop Bruté.

“At first, it was a little bit difficult for me to open up just because I’m a reserved person in nature,” said Thu, a member of St. Mark the Evangelist Parish in Indianapolis. “But I quickly started to really confide in him as my own spiritual father. He was able to help me to see God the Father through him. I could feel God’s presence and love through Father Larry. That’s how good, gentle and kind he was.”

Thu, who recently completed his third year of priestly formation at Saint Meinrad, expects to be ordained a transitional deacon in the fall and a priest next June. He looks up to Father Richardt as a model for himself, hoping, like him, “to serve until my last breath.”

“He was always gentle, merciful and kind,” said Thu. “That’s something that I’ll always try to remember as a priest, especially in confession—to always be merciful just as God is merciful.”

Father Ginther, a longtime friend of Father Richardt, spoke in an interview with The Criterion of how much being a member of the presbyterate of the archdiocese meant to his fellow priest.

“He sent an ordination anniversary card to every priest of the archdiocese every year,” Father Ginther said. “Hand-written, not typed.”

That commitment to his brother priests was consistent, Father Ginther noted, with his dedication to the end of his life of forming future generations of priests.

“It gave him life,” Father Ginther said. “As a priest, he wasn’t just going to stop. It was just who he was. He needed to continue to help people move toward the God that he loved so much, and the Church that he loved.”

John Lawrence Richardt was born on Sept. 4, 1937, in Chicago to the late John and Wanda (Goodson) Richardt. The family later moved to Tell City where they were members of St. Paul Parish. Father Richardt received the sacrament of confirmation there on Oct. 29, 1945.

After graduating from the former St. Paul School, Father Richardt became an archdiocesan seminarian, receiving priestly formation at the former Saint Meinrad High School and Saint Meinrad College from 1950-59, earning a bachelor’s degree at the latter. He completed his last four years of formation at the Pontifical North American College in Rome, where he also earned a licentiate in sacred theology at the Pontifical Gregorian University.

Father Richardt was ordained a priest on Dec. 19, 1962, at the Church of Christ the King in Rome by Bishop Martin J. O’Connor, who was the rector of the North American College at the time.

Father Richardt’s first pastoral assignment in the archdiocese was as associate pastor of Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish and as an instructor at the former Archbishop Schulte High School, both in Terre Haute, where he served from 1963-68. From 1968-70, he ministered as an assistant chaplain for the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in St. Mary-of-the-Woods.

For two months in 1970, Father Richardt served as associate pastor of the former Holy Trinity Parish in Indianapolis before serving in the same role at the former Holy Trinity Parish in New Albany from 1970-73.

He ministered as the co-pastor of St. Paul Parish in Tell City and St. Pius V Parish in Troy and as associate pastor of St. Michael Parish in Cannelton from 1973-75.

Father Richardt’s ministry in priestly formation began in 1975 when he became a member of the faculty of Saint Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology while also serving as co-pastor of the former St. Martin of Tours Parish in Siberia until 1979.

In 1986, after 11 years on Saint Meinrad’s faculty, Father Richardt was appointed pastor of Most Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish in Jeffersonville, leading that faith community until 1989.

From 1989-92, he served as pastor of St. Paul Parish in Tell City, as administrator of St. Pius V Parish in Troy and St. Michael Parish in Cannelton and as dean of the Tell City Deanery.

Beginning in 1992, Father Richardt began his second stint of ministry in priestly formation at Saint Meinrad, serving there until 1998.

From 1998-2002, he ministered as the sacramental minister and priest moderator of St. Mary-of-the-Woods Parish in St. Mary-of-the-Woods and the former St. Leonard of Port Maurice Parish in West Terre Haute. During that same time, Father Richardt also served as chaplain for the Sisters of Providence.

From 2002-03, he served as the part-time director of the archdiocesan Office of Ministry to Priests. In 2003, he was granted early retirement.

Father Richardt continued to serve in retirement as a spiritual director for lay, religious and lay Catholics. He also served as a spiritual director for seminarians at Bishop Simon Bruté College Seminary from 2006-25.

He is survived by a sister, Susan LeMond, and two brothers, Joseph and Stephen Richardt.

Because of his great interest in Native American culture, Father Richardt asked that memorial contributions be sent to the Eiteljorg Museum, 500 W. Washington St., Indianapolis, IN 46204. †