The Reverend 
Richard William Kropf went home to God, on October 24, 2024. He was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on January 9, 1932, the son of Richard B. Kropf and Aileen Foley Kropf. Father Kropf studied at Xavier University and St. Gregory Seminary, Cincinnati; Sacred Heart Seminary College, Detroit; and St. John’s Provincial Seminary, Plymouth. He also studied at the University of Ottawa, and St. Paul University, Ottawa.
On June 7, 1958, Father Kropf was ordained a Catholic Priest for the Diocese of Lansing. He served as Parochial Vicar at Holy Redeemer in Flint, St. Joseph Parish in Battle Creek, St. Michael Parish in Grand Ledge and St. Monica Parish in Kalamazoo. Father Kropf was formally recognized by the Church as a hermit after taking public vows in 1985.
Father Kropf served as Associate Priest of the Madonna House Apostolate, headquartered in Combermere, Ontario and was also a Third Order member of the Discalced Carmelites.
A Vigil service was held at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, at St. Mary, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Cathedral in Gaylord. Visitation was held at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, at St. Mary, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Cathedral, followed by a Mass of Christian Burial at 11 a.m., with The Most Reverend Jeffrey J. Walsh, Bishop of Gaylord, presiding. To view the Mass, click here.
A memorial service will also be held at St. Mary Cathedral in Lansing at a later date. Interment will take place at St. Joseph Cemetery in Lansing.
