Deceased: 2008-04-21
Diocese: KANSAS CITY-ST. JOSEPH
CSM Graduation Year: 1962
Father Richard Carney, former chancellor of the Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph, died Monday at the Kansas City Hospice House after a five-month illness. He was 79. Father Carney was chancellor, or director of the day-to-day business of the diocese, from 1987 to 1996. He also served in dozens of ministries in his 53 years in the priesthood. Ordained in 1955 for the former Diocese of St. Joseph, his first assignment was at Mary Immaculate Parish in Kirksville, Mo. That was followed by assignments at the parishes of St. Patrick’s in North Kansas City and St. James, Holy Trinity, Visitation, St. Elizabeth’s and Our Lady of Sorrows in Kansas City. He also had various positions in diocesan administration and was the first president of St. Pius X High School in North Kansas City. He retired from the active ministry in 1999. Father Carney was born in 1928 in St. Joseph Leo and Edna Carney and educated at St. Joseph Catholic schools. He attended junior college in St. Joseph and Immaculate Conception Seminary, Conception, Mo.where he received a B.A. in philosophy and completed graduate work in theology. He also did graduate work in education at Northeast Missouri State College in Kirksville and studied at the Lateran University in Rome, Italy, where he received a doctorate in canon law in 1962. He is survived by a sister and brother-in-law, Carolyn and Jim Pfeffer of Pheonix,Ariz.; brothers and sisters-in-law Leo and Pat of Tipton,Ia., and Jack and Rosie and Tom and Amparo of Des Moines; and 15 nephews and nieces. Visitation will be held from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, followed by a prayer service at 7:30, at Visitation Parish, 5141 Main St. in Kansas City. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Friday at 11 a.m. at Visitation Church with burial in Mt.Olivet Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to St. Joseph’s Hospital and Kansas City Hospice.
