Pastors

The Reverend Monsignor Eugene Henry Livelsberger

Sixth Pastor of St. Mary
1967 – 1970

The Reverend Monsignor Eugene H. Livelsberger was born in Edge Grove, PA near Gettysburg on December 24, 1913 to Henry D. Livelsberger and Alverta A. Smith.  Eugene studied for the priesthood at Mount St. Mary Seminary in Emmitsburg, MD and was ordained a priest at Mount St. Mary’s on Sunday, June 4, 1939.  He celebrated his First Mass of Thanksgiving in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Jesus’ “Conewago Chapel” in Edge Grove, PA.  Fr. Livelsberger’s first priestly assignment was to Immaculate Conception Parish in Durham, NC.

During World War II, Fr. Livelsberger became a chaplain for the Air Corps at Seymour Johnson Field, Goldsboro, NC, and for the U.S. Navy at Chapel Hill, NC.  After the War, he lived in Burlington and again in Durham, NC.

In 1967, Fr. Livelsberger was appointed Pastor of St. Mary Parish to succeed Msgr. O’Connor.  He stayed at the parish until 1970 when he was sent to Asheville, NC.  While Fr. Livelsberger was Pastor of St. Mary Parish, there was a devastating fire in St. Thomas the Apostle Church on Dock Street.  St. Thomas, a mission of St. Mary and place where people of African ancestry worshiped and were educated, was closed by Bishop Waters of the Diocese of Raleigh.  It was Fr. Livelsberger’s task to welcome the displaced members of St. Thomas into the community of St. Mary Parish.  The fire was the catalyst for integrating the two racially-divided communities.

On December 17, 1970, Fr. Livelsberger became a Domestic Prelate (Monsignor).

During his years as a priest of the Diocese of Raleigh, Msgr. Livelsberger served in many parishes and installations throughout North Carolina.  He retired in July of 1984.  On Tuesday, January 6, 1987, the Hanover, PA Evening Sun reported that Msgr. Livelsberger died at Edge Grove, PA.  A Mass of Christian Burial was held at Sacred Heart Basilica there, and he was buried in the Sacred Heart parish cemetery.