Funeral Arrangements For Father Denny Released

DAKOTA COUNTY, MN — Funeral arrangements have been set for Dennis Dempsey, 73, the pastor who was killed riding his bike in Rosemount on Monday.

The arrangements were shared by Church of the Risen Savior in Burnsville, which the St. Paul Pioneer Press reported he was the new pastor of.

After leaving St. Dominic's in Northfield in 2019, Dempsey returned to Venezuela, where he had done missions in the past, according to his bio on Religions in Minnesota. It is unclear how soon after his return to Minnesota he joined Church of the Risen Savior.

Here are Dempsey's funeral arrangements, according to the Church of the Risen Savior's Facebook page:

• Friday, October 29: Visitation 4:00-8:00 p.m., St. Dominic Church (104 Linden St. N., Northfield, MN 55057)
• Friday, October 29: Vigil Service 7:00 p.m., St. Dominic Church (104 Linden St. N., Northfield, MN 55057)
• Saturday, October 30: Visitation 9:00-10:30 a.m., Church of the Risen Savior
• Saturday, October 30: Funeral Mass 10:30 a.m., Church of the Risen Savior, Archbishop Hebda presiding, homilist: Fr. Kevin Clinton; no funeral luncheon at church
• Saturday, October 30: Interment at Resurrection Cemetery, 2101 Lexington Ave. S., Mendota Heights, MN 55120

Before joining Church of the Risen Savior, Dempsey was the former pastor at Church of St. Dominic for 15 years.

"We learned last night that Fr. Dennis Dempsey was called home to our Heavenly Father," Church of St. Dominic shared on its Facebook page. "Father Denny was tragically killed in a bicycle accident yesterday afternoon (October 25). We know this news will be devastating to many who know and so loved him. Our hearts are broken."

The driver of the vehicle that struck and killed Dempsey was arrested at the scene of the crash on suspicion of criminal vehicular homicide, according to a report by the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

The driver was driving after having his license revoked, which he had been convicted of doing 10 times in the past 3.5 years, the report said.

See also: Northfield Pastor Killed Riding His Bike In Rosemount

The Catholic Spirit published an obituary for Dempsey.

Mara Mangan, director of faith formation at St. Dominic, told the publication that Dempsey's death was "a tragic loss for us," and that he "loved people right where they were at, and he was a wonderful listener."

Dempsey also enjoyed kayaking, biking and being in the outdoors, The Catholic Spirit wrote.

"He very much relied on the providence of God," Mangan told The Catholic Spirit. "There’s so many stories of Father Denny living the providence of God. However God allowed things to play out, he just trusted God. … He trusted God in everything. That’s what he taught us, really, is to just allow God to work in our lives and to trust God."

The driver's name has been removed from the article due to him not being charged yet in this crash. Patch will release the driver's name if he is charged. Rosemount Police Department has not yet responded to Patch's inquiries about this incident.