Msgr. James Lindenmeyer served Native Americans in New Mexico

By Mary Ann Wyand

Msgr. James Lindenmeyer, a retired priest of the Diocese of Gallup, N.M., and Batesville native who lived in Shelbyville during the past four years, died there on May 8. He was 85.

Msgr. Lindenmeyer conducted mission appeals and provided sacramental assistance at parishes in the archdiocese for the past four years while living with his sister, St. Joseph parishioner Shirley Alton of Shelbyville.

“We are deeply saddened by Msgr. Lindenmeyer’s death,” Bishop Donald E. Pelotte of Gallup said in a statement.

“He was loved very much by the people of the Diocese of Gallup,” Bishop Pelotte said. “We offer our prayers for Monsignor, and we will hold up his family in prayer.”

Bishop Pelotte said Msgr. Lindenmeyer was “a hard-working and dedicated priest” who was “always very respectful and helpful to me.”

Msgr. Joseph F. Schaedel, vicar general of the archdiocese, celebrated a Mass of Christian Burial for Msgr. Lindenmeyer on May 14 at St. Joseph Church in Shelbyville.

He said Father James Shapelle of Cincinnati, a seminary classmate, preached the homily for his longtime friend.

“The archdiocese was proud to have given a priest-missionary to Gallup, New Mexico,” Msgr. Schaedel said. “I had fond memories of Msgr. Lindenmeyer appearing each summer in the Mission Office. He was a delight to talk with—always upbeat. He was always willing to help out in parishes during the summer when he was here. He was a ‘priest’s priest.’ ”

Sister Demetria Smith, a Missionary Sister of Our Lady of Africa and mission educator for the archdiocese, remembered Msgr. Lindenmeyer as “a very kind and patient person” who “had a great sense of humor.”

She said they traveled “many miles in our archdiocese” for mission education programs at parishes and schools, where he shared stories about “his missionary work of spreading the Good News” to Native Americans in the Diocese of Gallup.

“Most of his presentations were in the high schools,” Sister Demetria said. “The young people enjoyed his slides and his stories. It would not surprise me to hear of someone’s vocation being the result of having heard him tell his story.”

Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary parishioner James Alton of Indianapolis, Msgr. Lindenmeyer’s nephew, said his uncle loved to preach on behalf of the Indian missions.

“He passed away … after a five-year struggle with Alzheimer’s disease,” Alton said. “We will be returning [his body] to Farmington, N.M., for Mass and burial as he requested.”

A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated on May 18 at St. Mary Church in Farmington, N.M. Burial will follow there.

James Lindenmeyer was born on March 1, 1922, in Batesville.

He was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Gallup by Bishop Bernard T. Espelage on Nov. 14, 1948.

On Dec. 12, 1972, Father Lindenmeyer was elevated to the rank of Domestic Prelate (Monsignor) by Pope Paul VI.

He served at Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish in Flagstaff, Ariz., from 1950 until 1969. When the Diocese of Phoenix was created, he was appointed assistant pastor of St. Joseph Church in Winslow, Ariz., where he served from 1948 until 1950. He also served there as pastor from 1969 until 1976.

In 1976, Msgr. Lindenmeyer was named pastor of St. Mary Parish in Farmington, N.M., where he served until his retirement in 1996. He made his home there until four years ago when deteriorating health forced him to move to Indiana, where his family could care for him.

Surviving with his sister, Shirley Alton, and brother-in-law, Charles Alton, are four nephews, three nieces and 13 great-nieces and great-nephews. †