Obituaries

Rev. Lawrence C. Gross, 81

Rev. Lawrence Charles Gross, 81, a resident of St. Anne Retirement Community, died Tuesday, March 24, 2009 in Lancaster after an illness of several months.

Born July 3, 1927 in Lancaster, he was the son of the late Lawrence William and Mary Elizabeth (Daum) Gross.  Fr. Gross attended Sacred Heart Parochial School, Lancaster Catholic High School, St. Charles College in Catonsville, MD, and St. Charles Seminary in Overbrook, Philadelphia, where he received his Bachelor or Arts Degree in 1950.

Fr. Gross was ordained a Catholic Priest on May 30, 1953 by the Most Reverend George L. Leech at St. Patrick’s Cathedral.  His assignments as a priest were: Associate Pastor, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Mt. Carmel, June 1953; Associate Pastor, Assumption B.V.M., Lebanon, Nov. 1953; Associate Pastor, St. Margaret Mary, Penbrook, May 1957; Associate Pastor, Seven Sorrows B.V.M., Middletown, Dec. 1959; Associate Pastor, Our Lady of the Blessed Sacrament, Harrisburg, June 1962 ; Founding Pastor, St. Gregory the Great and Rector, Villa Vianney, Lebanon, May 1965; Pastor, St. Joseph, Lancaster, Jan. 1971; Administrator, St. John the Baptist, Mount Carmel, June 1986; Senior Priest and Associate Pastor, St. Joseph, Shamokin, Aug. 1987; Corpus Christi Church, Chambersburg; June 1994; Senior Priest, St. Joseph Church, Danville, June 1995; Chaplain, Geisinger Medical Center and In Residence, St. Joseph, Danville, June 1999 to June 2002.  After his retirement, he resided at St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church, Lancaster, and most recently resided at St. Anne Retirement Community, Columbia.

Fr. Lawrence Gross has had a long career in Boy and Girl Scouting starting in 1939.  He earned many awards in his scouting career: the Girl Scouts Thanks badge, the Boy Scouts Silver Beaver award, the St. George emblem, and the St. Anne emblem.  He was also a member of the Order of the Arrow, and a member of the Throwing Bull tribe.  He was also a board member of the Lancaster-Lebanon Boy Scouts of America council.  Fr. Gross was always proud to show off his Boy and Girl Scout pins, no matter where he was.  Fr. Gross also served as Associate Diocesan Director, Catholic Youth for Girl Scouts; Associate Moderator of Lebanon Deanery Council of Catholic Women; Chaplain, Boy & Girl Scouts, Lancaster Area, and Moderator, Diocesan Holy Name Society for 9 years.  He was a fourth degree Knight of Columbus, a member of Lancaster Liederkranz, a chaplain to the Civil Air Patrol, active in the Cursillo Movement in the Diocese of Harrisburg, and was an active member of the Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla #14.

Fr. Gross’ hobbies and skills included bird watching, photography, water skiing, hunting, fishing, and rifle marksmanship.

Fr. Gross is survived by his brother, Henry L. Gross, of British Columbia, Canada.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held Tuesday, March 31, 2009 at 11:00 AM at St. Joseph Catholic Church, 440 St. Joseph St., Lancaster, PA 17602 with the Most Reverend Kevin C. Rhoades, Bishop of Harrisburg, as Celebrant.  A viewing will be held at the church Monday evening from 5 until 7 pm with the Mass of Transferral at 7 PM.  A second viewing will be held on Tuesday morning from 9 until 11 AM at the church.  Interment will be in St. Joseph New Catholic Cemetery, Bausman, PA.  Memorial contributions in Father Gross’ memory may be made to St. Joseph Catholic Church.  Arrangements by Charles F. Snyder Funeral Home, Inc., Lancaster, PA.  To send an online condolence, please visit www.snyderfuneralhome.com.

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Condolences to the Family

March 29, 2014

Hello my name is Marysue Perry.I am a member of St.Philip the Apostle Church where Father Gross was a priest. I enjoyed his homilies. When he spoke at church he brought me closer to God. Father Gross was like a second father to me because his homilies helped raise me in the Catholic faith.

February 03, 2014

Inky was my uncle – and reading these messages warmed my heart. He was a wonderful person with a great sense of humour and I have great memories of the time he spent visiting us.

I just discovered, four years later, that inky died.  I have known inky since we shared first grade at sacred heart school in lancaster.  i am responsible for giving him the inky nickname; i don’t know why. my belated condolences to his  family.   i haven’t seen him since one of the Lancaster Catholic HS reunions in perhaps 1995 but he is very memorable. RIP.
dick trapnell  san francisco

From a Holy Name Trip to Hawaii many years ago.  He was so kind to my children and I.  He stopped at our house to find a camp ground close by and my son showed him the way.  I was too busy to spend much time talking to him and looked up his name to contact him only to find him dead.  I just wanted to tell you how sorry I am to hear of this and tell you what a great person he was.  But I am sure you know this.  I plan to pray for him and send a donation in his memory to St. Joseph Church. 
Iris Kuglics, 175 Edgewood Rd. Beaver Falls, PA 15010

I knew Fr. Gross as a student at Sacred Heart School and his mother and dad were active in that parish.I was in 7th grade when he was ordained a priest. Wes and I then got to know him much better when he came to St. Philip’s to retire. He was a people person with a a quirky sense of humor and a loving heart. We enjoyed visiting with him at Manor Care when he was ill and he always had a good story to tell. He called us, "Mr. and Mrs. Snow Ball" because of our last name. We love and respect him. He will be greatly missed by us on earth but I’m sure heaven will be livelier with him there. I hope we will get to enjoy his company again in eternity.
Annette (Pickel) Schnee
 

As a member of St Phillip the Apostle, I will miss Father Gross. I always found his homilies inspirational and enjoyed his humor. I know my family and fellow parishioners will miss him.
Susan Ford

I offer my sympathy to the family of Father Gross.  I have known him  all of my life. He was one of my best friends. I was shocked when i found out he died.   Every i talked to him i would say hello Father Gross and  he would say to me fred my name to you is inky and  don’t forget it.   Fred Heilbron

Of the many attributes of Father "Inky" Gross, his ministry to the sick and dying stands out above everything else he did.
Claude Wiegand

Father Gross was a gift from God and anyone who met his was blessed.  I loved when he would greet my family and make a point to my daughters that he was a Girl scout too!  His presence will be greatly missed.  It is sad to lose a fellow Eagle Scout and Knight.  Your work on Earth is done Father…. now go enjoy Summer Camp!

Father Gross was a wonderful Priest!  He never failed to greet you with a smile and a story. "Gross" in German means BIG…..Father was truly a GIANT in his Catholic Faith!  He will be missed.
Bruno S. Schmalhofer

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