Father Gregg Donald Petri, OFM Obituary (1933 - 2015)

Father Gregg Donald Petri, OFM, 82, of Bloomington, passed away at 4:21 p.m. Friday, December 25, 2015 at Heritage Health, Normal.Reception of the Body and Wake Service will begin at 4 p.m. Tuesday, December 29, 2015 at St. Marys Catholic Church, Bloomington, where a wake vigil will continue throughout the night until the Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, December 30, 2015. Father Greggs family will personally receive visitors from 9 a.m. until 10 a.m. Wednesday at the church. Burial in St. Joseph Cemetery, Bloomington, will follow the Mass.In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Father Greggs honor may be made to St. Marys Catholic Church, Bloomington.Father Gregg was born September 15, 1933 in Bloomington, a son of Nicholas and Lillian Ray Petri, Sr.He is survived by his siblings, Juanita Edgington, Nicholas (Patti) Petri, Jr. and Darrel (Jenifer) Petri.He was preceded in death by his parents.Father Gregg invested as a Franciscan Friar on August 15, 1952, took his First Vows on August 16, 1953, his Solemn Vows on August 16, 1957 and was ordained a priest on June 13, 1961. He spent many years ministering as a teacher, counselor and pastor in the Southwest and Midwest. He graduated from the Maryknoll Language School in Bolivia in 1990 and started his ministry with the Hispanic communities in Indiana, New Mexico and Pennsylvania the following year. In 2003, Father Gregg began the Hispanic ministry at St. Marys Catholic Church in Bloomington and became involved with the Hispanic Cursillo Movement in Peoria.