A gathering to remember Father Lawrence “Larry” Johnson will be held at 10 a.m. Sept. 6 at his gravesite at Calvary Cemetery in Anoka, said Father Johnson’s brother, Howard Johnson.
Father Johnson, 76, was killed on Aug. 1, 2024, in St. Paul. Archbishop Bernard Hebda presided at Father Johnson’s funeral Mass last year, but plans for cremation have been difficult because police investigating Father Johnson’s death have not released his body, his brother said.
“He’ll be cremated, and he’ll be in the same site as our parents,” Johnson said. “That was his wish.”
Johnson said his brother was a good cook and a traveler. He said his brother loved cruises.
“That was his thing, to go on a cruise,” Johnson said. “He (Father Johnson) told me once, ‘I should be a chaplain on a ship.’”
Johnson said his brother wouldn’t tell anyone on the cruise what he did for a living until the last night, when he would wear his priestly collar. This way, Johnson said, Father Johnson hoped he wouldn’t “cramp anyone’s style.”
Johnson said anyone who wants to attend will be welcome at the Sept. 6 gathering. In the past year, he’s received letters from people who knew his brother, and their kind words have been a great comfort. He said he and his family have forgiven Nathan Wondra for the incident.
“My heart goes out to their family, too,” Johnson said. “I’m a father and I couldn’t imagine getting the phone call that his (Wondra’s) father got. … I pray for them all the time.”
A judge ruled that Wondra, 33, caused Father Johnson’s death but is not guilty by reason of mental illness or cognitive impairment, according to a court document filed Aug. 6. The Ramsey County Attorney’s Office is petitioning for a civil commitment, the court document stated.
“That’s what we were hoping for, because that way he wouldn’t just sit in jail,” Johnson said. “He can get some help at a mental institution. … We didn’t want the person just to sit there and not get any help.”
Father Johnson was ordained in 1975 and served at a number of parishes in the archdiocese: Guardian Angels in Chaska (2000-2007), St. Martin and St. Walburga both in Rogers (1997-2000), St. John the Evangelist in Hopkins (1994-1996), St. Joseph in Red Wing (1992-1994), Presentation of Mary in Maplewood (1988-1992), St. Gregory the Great in North Branch and Sacred Heart in Rush City (1985-1988), Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Minneapolis (1984-1985), St. Scholastica in Heidelberg (1981-1984), St. Wenceslaus in New Prague (1980-1984), Ascension in Minneapolis (1977-1980) and Nativity of the Blessed Virgin in Bloomington (1975-1977).
Rebecca Omastiak of The Catholic Spirit contributed to this report.
