A memorial Mass for Father Eugene Utrup will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 9, in the St. Vincent de Paul Chapel at the Cardinal Rigali Center in Shrewsbury. A longtime parish priest, Father Utrup died Aug. 29 at Mercy Hospital St. Louis. He was 90 years old and this year celebrated his 65th anniversary to the priesthood.
Born in St. Louis, he attended St. Mary’s High School, McBride High School, St. Louis University, St. Louis Prep Seminary, Cardinal Glennon College and Kenrick Seminary. He was ordained by then-Archbishop Joseph E. Ritter on March 14, 1959, at the Cathedral of Saint Louis.
Father Utrup was an assistant pastor at Most Holy Trinity in St. Louis (1959-63) and an associate pastor at St. Clement of Rome in Des Peres (1963-68), St. Augustine in St. Louis (1968-69), Cure of Ars in Shrewsbury (1969-75), St. Michael the Archangel in Shrewsbury (1975-78) and St. Ferdinand in Florissant (1978-79).
In 1979, he was named pastor for the first time, serving at St. Stephen in Richwoods (1979-81). He then went on to serve as pastor at St. James in Potosi (1981-83), St. John the Baptist in Gildehaus (1983-84) and St. Jude in Overland (1984-89).
In 1990, he became senior associate pastor at Incarnate Word in Chesterfield, where he served until his retirement in 2006. While there, he also was involved in prison ministry.
Father Utrup donated his body to Saint Louis University School of Medicine.
