Connolly, The Rev. Msgr. Leon L. ('Padre Leon')

The Rev. Msgr. Leon L. Connolly (“Padre Leon“), 79, of Dubuque, Iowa, died Tuesday, Sept. 27, 2011, at 1:30 p.m. at Mercy Medical Center in Dubuque. Friends and relatives of Msgr. Leon Connolly may call from 2 to 8 p.m. Thursday at St. Raphael's Cathedral in Dubuque, where a wake service will be held at 7 p.m. Friends may also call after 9 a.m. Friday at St. Raphael's Cathedral in Dubuque. Services for Msgr. Leon Connolly will be held at 10:30 a.m. Friday at St. Raphael's Cathedral in Dubuque, with Archbishop Jerome Hanus presiding. Concelebrating the mass will be many fellow priests from the Archdiocese. Homilist will be the Rev. Carl A. Ries. A private burial will be held in Sacred Heart Cemetery, Fillmore, Iowa. A memorial Mass will be held for Rev. Msgr. Leon Connolly at the Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Waterloo at a later date.

Leon was born June 18, 1932, in Cascade, Iowa, son of Louis and Jessie (Dolphin) Connolly. He graduated from Loras College and completed his theological studies at Mount St. Bernard Seminary, both in Dubuque.

He was ordained on Feb. 1, 1958, by Archbishop Leo Binz at St. Raphael's Cathedral in Dubuque. He served as associate pastor of St. Joseph the Worker, Dubuque, from 1958-63; and St. Edward's, Waterloo, from 1963-68. In 1968, he volunteered to serve with the archdiocesan mission in Cochabamba, Bolivia. He served there for 14 years and was involved with the “Fe and Algeria” education program for the poor, and helped build five schools and the Center of Rehabilitation in Cochabamba - the first, and for many years, the only agency in the country serving those with mental and physical challenges.

In 1982, he returned to the archdiocese, serving as associate pastor of St. Pius X Parish in Cedar Rapids and worked with mission education in conjunction with the office of Propagation of the Faith.

In 1984, he was appointed pastor of Sacred Heart Parish in Osage, serving there until 1991, when he joined the Maryknoll Missions Associate Program and returned to Latin America. There he served for six years as a pastor of St. Anthony Parish, Sayaxche, Peten, located in the rain forests of northern Guatemala. While serving in the missions, he built 60+plus churches and picked up the title “Padre” and preferred to be called “Padre Leon,” and was fondly known by that name.

He served as pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Waterloo from 1997 until his retirement on July 9, 2002. He also served as sacramental and pastoral minister to Hispanics in the Waterloo region and/or Cedar Rapids Deanery, 1998-2002.

He was vicar for Hispanic Ministry, 2003-2010. He was named a Prelate of Honor (monsignor) in 2003.

After retirement, he resided at the Raphael Villa and then Stonehill Care Center, both in Dubuque.

He is survived by three sisters, Janell Then of Epworth, Sister Lillian Connolly RSM and Vivian Steffen, both of Dubuque; two sisters-in-law, Jean Connolly of Dubuque and Margaret Lehmann of Farley; and 24 nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; three brothers, Pat Connolly, Vincent Connolly and Jeremiah Connolly in infancy; two sisters, Verla Lehmann and Sister Nancy Connolly, R.S.M.; three brothers-in-law, Clarence Lehmann, Tom Then and Donald Steffen; two nephews, Terry Then and Andrew Connolly; and a great-niece, Kristi Nurre.

A Msgr. Leon L. Connolly memorial fund has been established.

Online condolences may be left for the family at

Published Sept. 29, 2011, in The Gazette