Fr. Donald Holtgrewe, OFM

Fr. Donald Holtgrewe, OFM, a Franciscan friar with deep roots and a long record of service in Cincinnati, died Jan. 15 at St. John the Baptist Friary in Sharonville, where he had lived in retirement since 2019. He was 88 years old.  Aside from his early ministry as a teacher, Fr. Holtgrewe devoted most of his 58 years as a priest to parish ministry.

Born Oct. 22, 1932, in Cincinnati, he was one of eight children of Frederick and Elizabeth (Peter) Holtgrewe. When he was a lad, Fr. Holtgrewe said, “People would ask me if I was related to ‘The Strong Man’,” Henry Holtgrewe, who was a turn-of-the-century celebrity known for feats of strength and immortalized in an immense mural on Vine Street in Over-the-Rhine. Young Donald would proudly respond, “He was my great-uncle.”

The son of a Franciscan parish, St. Bonaventure, Donald graduated from a Franciscan high school, Roger Bacon. Working toward a degree in Political Science at Xavier University, he was drawn to life as a Franciscan priest, applied to the Order and was accepted into the Novitiate in 1957. He professed first vows in 1958, and pursued theological studies at St. Leonard College in Centerville, Ohio. Ordained in 1963, he was assigned as a teacher to Cathedral High School in Gallup, N.M., in 1964. His first experience with pastoral ministry was as Associate Pastor with Holy Family Parish in Albuquerque, N.M., where he served for 10 years. After three years as Pastor of St. Michael Parish in Southfield, Mich., sabbatical studies led him to Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, Calif., where he completed its M.Div. program.

Fr. Holtgrewe returned to the Midwest in 1983 and would spend the rest of his life there, first as Pastor of St. Boniface Parish in Lafayette, Ind., then as Pastor of the St. Leonard Community in Centerville, Ohio. He followed three years as Pastor of Corpus Christi Parish in Columbus, Ohio, with 10 years as Pastor of Corpus Christi in Cincinnati. One of his joys was travel, and he never tired of sharing with guests the photos and stories he had collected along the way.

Fr. Holtgrewe was the last Franciscan Pastor at Corpus Christi before it was returned to the care of the archbishop in 2002. He next ministered as Pastor of St. Clement Parish in St. Bernard for three years. Not quite ready to retire, he was assigned to Word and Sacramental ministry at St. Ann Friary in Cincinnati, then provided six months of temporary assistance at St. Francis Retreat House in Easton, Pa.

Retiring to Mercy Community at Winton Woods in 2008, he helped with sacramental ministry for the next 10 years. Fully retiring in 2018, he joined the friar community at St. Clement. When his health declined in 2019, Fr. Holtgrewe moved to his final home at St. John the Baptist Friary.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his brothers Howard and Wilfrid, and his sisters, Rita Uphus and Esther Eichhorn. He is survived by his brother Norbert and sisters Evelyn Kettner and LaVerne Schoenung, and nieces and nephews. A private funeral Mass was held Friday, Jan. 22, at St. John the Baptist Friary, followed by burial at St. Mary Cemetery in St. Bernard. Memorials in Fr. Holtgrewe’s name may be made to the Franciscans in care of FriarWorks, 1615 Vine St., Cincinnati, OH 45202.