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Published May 20, 2009, 01:05 PM

Duluth’s ‘Father Pat’ dies

Msgr. Patrick McDowell, 81, a longtime downtown Duluth priest who oversaw three inner-city parishes and who was an advocate of the poor, died Tuesday at St. Luke’s Hospital.

  • Msgr. Pat McDowell
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    Monsignor Pat McDowell was instrumental in development of the 24-hour Holy Innocents Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel at St. Mary Star of the Sea, which McDowell dedicated in his strident efforts against abortion. (2007 file / News Tribune)

Msgr. Patrick McDowell, 81, a longtime downtown Duluth priest who oversaw three inner-city parishes and who was an advocate of the poor, died Tuesday at St. Luke’s Hospital.

The rotund, affable priest was the parish vicar at Center City Catholic Churches in Duluth that included St. Mary Star of the Sea, St. Peter’s and Our Lady of Mercy. He also was pastor of Duluth’s St. Benedict’s Parish in Kenwood and later served at parishes in Virginia and Cook.

McDowell was praised today by St. Louis County Commissioner Steve O’Neill, who called the priest a "giant advocate for the poor."

McDowell was instrumental in development of the 24-hour Holy Innocents Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration Chapel at St. Mary Star of the Sea, which McDowell dedicated in his strident efforts against abortion.

Visitation will be 5 p.m. Monday at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Rosary, 2801 E. 4th St. in Duluth. Visitation will continue at the church Tuesday from 10 a.m. until the 11 a.m. funeral. Burial will be at Calvary Cemetery. Arrangements are by Dougherty Funeral Home.

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Bonnie S.
West Concord, MN     05/26/2009 6:28 PM

thank you Father Pat, for being the person that you were...I will always remember him

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yvonne d.
Cloquet, MN     05/21/2009 11:11 AM

I remember Father Pat well from when I attended Sacred Heart School. We could not have been luckier to have Father Pat and Father Hayden. He was a wonderful priest with a good sense of humor.

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gary k.
Duluth, MN     05/20/2009 10:08 PM

I chatted with Msgr Pat last friday in the lobby of Lakeshore. Kind of frail, but getting ready to do the 4pm Mass in the chaple. My Irish friend.......take care and rest with your savior. Be sure to tell him about your Father's hamburger stand you worked at till midnight on Saturday.....so hot, tired....and like you told me you couldn't take a sip of water after midnight because of Communion the next day!!! We had a good laugh on that one as well as many others. I'll miss you and your Irish humor.

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