Father William Grogan, a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and brother of Father James Grogan, pastor of Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish, Moorestown, died unexpectedly and peacefully Aug. 26. He was 68.
Funeral services will be held Aug. 29 in Holy Cross Church, 140 East Mount Airy Ave., Philadelphia, where Father Grogan served as pastor. Reception of the Body will take place at 8:30 a.m. with Visitation following from 9 to 10:50. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11 a.m. with Archbishop Nelson Perez serving as principal celebrant. Father James Grogan will be the homilist.
Born in 1955 in Baltimore, Father Grogan attended St. Teresa of Avila School, Valley Forge, Pa., and Our Lady of Charity School, Brookhaven, Pa., and St. Joseph Preparatory High School, Philadelphia. He prepared for the priesthood in St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Wynnewood, Pa., and was ordained a priest May 21, 1983, in the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul by Cardinal John Krol.
Father Grogan’s assignments included serving as parochial vicar of St. Martin of Tours Parish, Philadelphia, and St. Kevin Parish, Springfield, Pa.; on the faculty of Cardinal Dougherty High School, Philadelphia, and St. Pius X High School, Pottstown, as Newman chaplain to Drexel University, Philadelphia, while also serving as parochial vicar in St. Agatha-St. James Parish, Philadelphia. He was named president of Archbishop John Carroll High School, Radnor, Pa., in 2007 and served until 2009 when he was named pastor of All Saints Parish, Philadelphia. In 2013, he was named pastor of Holy Cross Parish.
In addition to his priest-brother, Father Grogan is survived by three sisters, Maryanne (and her husband, Jim) Porter of Woodlyn, Pa.; Patricia (and her husband, Don) Byrnes, of York, Pa., and Jeanmarie (and her husband, Robert) Blaise of Newtown Square, Pa.; another brother, Thomas F. (and his wife, Nancy) of Wallingford, Pa.; many nieces, nephews, relatives and friends.
Memorial contributions may be made to St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, 1400 Evans Rd., Ambler, Pa. 19002.